Indonesia Masters | Lakshya Sen stiff challenge from world no.10 Kanta Tsuneyama
PV Sindhu and upcoming shuttler Lakshya Sen made impressive starts at the Indonesia Masters Super 750 badminton tournament on Tuesday. Sindhu recorded a 21-15, 21-19 win over Thailand’s Supanida Katethong in a 43-minute while Sen stunned world no.10, Japan’s Kanta Tsuneyama, in the men’s singles.
The 20-year-old, who had reached the semis at the Hylo Open Super 500, won in three games 21-17, 18-21, 21-17. Now he will face the top seed and two-time world champion Kento Momota of Japan in the next round.
In the first game, from 6-9 down, Sen managed to take a 13-11 lead and somehow managed to close the game without any hiccups. Come the second game, the momentum shifted and Sen squandered a 4-0 lead. In the do-or-die game, Sen emerged on top with a 13-8 lead.
In the decider, Lakshya showed great mental fortitude as he fought back from 3-6 to jump to 13-8 with a six-point burst. Kanta made it 16-16 but Lakshya ensured he had the last laugh as he won five of the next six points to enter the second round.
Among others, the sixth-seeded Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be up against Malaysia’s Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi later in the day. Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy will also be in action against Denmark’s Alexandra Boje and Mette Poulsen.