India’s Lakshya Sen suffered an early exit at the BWF World Championships, losing in straight games to world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi of China in the opening round on Monday.
Sen, a bronze medallist at the 2021 edition, went down 17-21, 19-21 in a 54-minute battle. Despite flashes of his attacking best, the 24-year-old faltered at crucial stages and struggled to break through Shi’s rock-solid defence and sharp finishing.
Match Highlights
- In the first game, Sen matched Shi with long rallies but lost momentum after a 47-shot exchange, allowing the Chinese to edge ahead. Shi closed out the opener 21-17 with a series of body smashes.
- The second game saw Sen fight back from 10-15 down to 16-17, raising hopes of a decider. However, two unforced errors at the end handed Shi the win.
With this result, Shi extended his head-to-head record over Sen to 4-1, continuing a dominant run that has seen him win nine finals since January 2024.
Tough Year for Sen
Sen had entered the tournament hoping to move past the disappointment of his fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics last year, but once again fell short against the world’s top-ranked player.
Other Results
In women’s doubles, India’s Rutuparna and Swetaparna Panda bowed out after a 12-21, 11-21 defeat to Bulgaria’s Stoeva sisters, Gabriela and Stefani.
Source: PTI
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