Indian badminton suffered a setback at the Japan Open 2025 as top contenders Lakshya Sen and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were knocked out in the second round of the Super 750 tournament.
Lakshya Sen, ranked World No. 18, failed to maintain his first-round momentum and lost 19-21, 11-21 to Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in a match that lasted nearly an hour. Despite a strong opening win against China’s Wang Zheng Xing, Sen’s inconsistency proved costly.
In men’s doubles, Satwik and Chirag faced a formidable challenge from the fifth-seeded Chinese pair Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. The Indians lost 22-24, 14-21 in a 44-minute clash between former world No. 1 duos. After rallying to an 18-14 lead in the first game, the Indian pair faltered under pressure, allowing the Chinese duo to seize control.
Liang and Wang, silver medallists at the Paris Olympics, extended their head-to-head lead over Satwik-Chirag to 7-2. Their strategic play and sharp defence exposed vulnerabilities in the Indian pair’s smashes and positioning, resulting in a fourth consecutive defeat for the Indian duo against the Chinese team.
With these losses, India’s campaign at the Japan Open faces a major dent, raising concerns ahead of upcoming international fixtures.
