Lakshya Sen Eyes Redemption, But World Champion Alex Lanier Stands In His Way

Lakshya Sen will aim to put the disappointment of his early BWF World Championships exit behind him when he leads India’s challenge at the USD 1.25 million China Masters Super 750, which gets underway in Shenzhen on Tuesday.

But he faces a difficult opening-round test.

Sen, who made history as the first Indian male shuttler to reach an Olympic semifinal at the Paris Games two years ago before finishing fourth, will open his campaign against newly crowned world champion Alex Lanier of France.

The Indian has produced multiple notable performances this season, including a runner-up finish at the All England Championships and will be eager to regain consistency against a strong field after suffering a shock second-round loss to world No. 92 Garret

Tan at the World Championships.

Former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, meanwhile, faces Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu-jen after reaching the US Open Super 300 final in June, where he finished runner-up.

Srikanth’s campaign on the Tour since then has been inconsistent. An injury-forced retirement at the Canada Open disrupted his run before he suffered a first-round exit at the Korea Masters.

In men’s doubles, fourth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be among India’s biggest hopes.

The former world No. 1 pair ended a two-year wait for an international title by clinching the Singapore Open earlier this year. Satwik-Chirag will start their campaign against China’s Hu Ke Yuan and Lin Xiang Yi, who won the Orleans Masters title this season.

Satwik has been dealing with a recurring shoulder problem.

The duo returned to action after missing a few events but suffered a third-round exit at the home World Championships. Satwik-Chirag will now target a deeper run as they build towards their Asian Games title defence in Japan.

India’s young women’s singles contingent will be in focus as well, with promising youngsters Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma and Devika Sihag leading the nation’s challenge.

Unnati, the 18-year-old from Rohtak, faces fifth seed Han Yue of China.

Unnati became the youngest Indian to win a BWF World Tour title when she claimed the Odisha Open Super 100 crown in 2022 as an unseeded 14-year-old.

Unnati has since added the Abu Dhabi Masters and Odisha Masters titles to her cabinet.

Tanvi takes on Denmark’s Amalie Schulz.

Tanvi underlined her rapid rise this year by becoming the youngest-ever winner of the Taipei Open Super 300.

Devika, meanwhile, will square off against Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova.

The 21-year-old from Haryana, ranked inside the world’s top 45, arrives on the back of a title-winning run at the Thailand Masters Super 300.

(With PTI Inputs)