Indian badminton ace PV Sindhu faced another early exit on Wednesday, succumbing in the first round of the Japan Open Super 750 tournament. However, there was good news for Indian fans as Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen and the formidable men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty successfully navigated their opening matches to progress to the second round.
Sindhu’s Fifth First-Round Exit This Year
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu’s challenging season continued as she went down in straight games to Korea’s Sim Yu Jin. The 30-year-old former world champion lost 15-21, 14-21 in a match where she appeared rusty and struggled with judgment of length and unforced errors.
This marks Sindhu’s fifth first-round exit in the 2025 BWF World Tour season, highlighting a persistent struggle for form despite her claims of being fully fit and motivated. While she showed glimpses of her fighting spirit, particularly in the first game, Sim Yu Jin ultimately maintained control to secure her first career victory over the Indian star.
Lakshya Sen Shows Promising Form
In contrast to Sindhu’s woes, Lakshya Sen delivered a sharp and controlled performance to defeat China’s Wang Zheng Xing. The world No. 18, who has also faced a string of first-round exits this season, looked much improved, winning his match 21-11, 21-18. Sen was dominant in the opening game, racing to an 11-2 lead and closing it out comfortably. Although Xing mounted a stronger challenge in the second, Lakshya held his nerve and capitalized on his early momentum to seal the match in straight games. He will now face the seventh seed and local favourite Kodai Naraoka in the round of 16.
Satwik-Chirag Cruise into Second Round
The men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, currently ranked 15th in the world, continued their strong run, securing a comfortable straight-game victory over the Korean duo of Kang Min Hyuk and Kim Dong Ju. The Indian pair, who were former world No. 1, won 21-18, 21-10 in just 42 minutes.
While they took some time to settle in the first game, matching their opponents point for point, once they found their rhythm, they were unstoppable. Their clinical precision dominated the second game, allowing them to cruise into the second round. They will next face another former world No. 1 pair, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.
