Xuan chen zhu

Macau Open BWF World Series: India endured mixed fortunes at the Macau Open Super 300 badminton tournament on Friday, with top doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty crashing out, while Lakshya Sen and Tharun Mannepalli brought cheer by advancing to the semifinals in the men’s singles category.

The World No. 3 duo of Satwik and Chirag, considered strong medal contenders, were stunned in the quarterfinals by the unseeded Malaysian pair Choong Hon Jian and Haikal Muhammad, going down 14-21, 17-21 in straight games. The Indian pair struggled to find their rhythm and failed to recover from early deficits in both games, exiting the tournament earlier than expected.

In contrast, Lakshya Sen, the second seed and 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, showcased grit and resilience in a hard-fought 18-21, 21-14, 21-17 victory over China’s Xuan Chen Zhu. The match lasted just over an hour and saw Sen weather a spirited challenge from the world No. 77. After dropping the first game, Lakshya bounced back with aggressive net play and sharp smashes to level the contest.