India endured a disappointing second day at the Japan Open Super 750 in Tokyo on Wednesday as Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty and Unnati Hooda all bowed out in the opening round.
Ayush and Unnati pushed their opponents deep before falling in three games, while Lakshya went down in straight games to local favourite Koki Watanabe. The results left India with limited representation moving forward in the USD 950,000 tournament, with PV Sindhu and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto remaining in contention.
The first-round exits also come at a time when India is set to host the World Championships in New Delhi next month after a gap of 17 years, adding extra focus on performances at top-tier events.
How the three first-round matches unfolded in Tokyo
Ayush Shetty, the 21-year-old from Mangaluru and a finalist at the Asia Championships, produced a gritty performance but ultimately fell 19-21, 25-23, 15-21 to second seed and former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in an 82-minute contest.
Ayush began well, taking an early 7-4 lead, but Kunlavut quickly turned it around to move ahead 12-9. The Indian fought back to 13-12, only for the Thai to stretch the advantage again to 19-16. Ayush won three straight points to keep the opening game alive, but Kunlavut closed it out by taking the next two points for 21-19.
In the second game, Kunlavut again stayed in front for long spells, but Ayush stayed close and edged ahead 11-10 at the interval. The Thai regained control and earned four match points, putting Ayush on the brink. Ayush responded with a dramatic escape, saving all four match points before winning a tense finish and converting his second game point to take the game 25-23 and force a decider.
The momentum swing did not last into the third. Kunlavut came out strongly, moving to an 8-5 lead and then extending it to 14-8 before sealing the match 21-15 to end Ayush’s run.
In women’s singles, world No. 24 Unnati Hooda went down 21-16, 16-21, 15-21 to Huang Yu-Hsun of Chinese Taipei. The defeat marked Unnati’s second loss to Huang in as many meetings, with the match again going the distance after Unnati took the opening game.
Lakshya Sen, the runner-up at the All England Championships, was beaten 16-21, 14-21 by Japan’s Koki Watanabe in 38 minutes. The result also shifted their head-to-head further in Watanabe’s favour, with the Japanese shuttler improving it to 4-3 against Lakshya.
What’s next for India at the Japan Open
With Lakshya, Ayush and Unnati out, India’s hopes in the tournament rest on two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and the mixed doubles team of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto.
Sindhu is set to face fifth seed Han Yue of China, while Kapila and Crasto will take on top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping in the second round on Thursday.
After a day where all three Indian shuttlers in action failed to cross the opening hurdle, the remaining matches carry added importance for India’s campaign in Tokyo.
