Lakshya Sen put up a brave fight against Chou Tien Chen from Chinese Taipei but ultimately fell short, exiting in the first round of the Denmark Open. After an intense match lasting 63 minutes, Lakshya lost with scores of 18-21, 21-13, 15-21.
In 2026, Lakshya has faced challenges finding his rhythm, with less-than-ideal performances in significant tournaments. His recent disappointment came during the Asian Games, where he was knocked out in the second round by Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew, a former world champion, at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium.
Earlier this summer, Lakshya also faced an unexpected early defeat at the BWF World Championships, where he was beaten in the second round by American player Garret Tan, ranked World No. 92. The match ended with Tan winning 19-21, 21-19, 21-17.
### MATCH DETAILS
The match kicked off with a tight first game, with both players fighting hard for an edge. Lakshya initially led 8-6, but Chen managed to regain the lead and went into the break ahead. After the break, Lakshya looked poised to take the first game with a lead of 18-15, but Chen surprised him with a strong comeback, winning six consecutive points to claim the opening game.
The second game saw Lakshya start strong, looking more comfortable on the court. He took the lead at the break and extended it significantly, hitting a remarkable 18-7 lead. Although Chen attempted to come back, Lakshya ultimately secured the game, pushing the match into a deciding third game.
In the final game, Chen found his form again, keeping Lakshya on the defensive for most of the match. At one point, Chen held a 17-7 lead, but Lakshya fought back to make it 19-15. However, Chen finished strong and took the match.
In other news, Kidambi Srikanth moved on to the round of 16 after defeating France’s Arnaud Merkle in straight games, with scores of 22-20, 21-19. He will face either seventh seed Alex Lanier or Hu Zhe An next.
In the women’s singles, Tanvi Sharma advanced after a tough match against Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira, winning 21-17, 16-21, 21-19, keeping her hopes alive. She might encounter her fellow Indian player P.V. Sindhu in the next round if Sindhu can get past Germany’s Yvonne Li.
