In a challenging day at the Singapore Open 2024, Indian shuttlers Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth encountered defeat in their respective men’s singles matches on Wednesday.
Lakshya Sen faced a tough battle against Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen in the first round, ultimately conceding a 21-13, 16-21, 21-13 defeat. Axelsen’s dominance was evident from the outset, securing a convincing 21-13 victory in the opening set. Although Lakshya fought back to claim the second set 16-21, he couldn’t maintain the momentum, falling short to Axelsen’s prowess in the final set.
Meanwhile, Kidambi Srikanth endured a challenging match against Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, suffering a 14-21, 3-11 defeat after opting to withdraw due to injury. The encounter lasted a mere 31 minutes.
In the women’s singles category, an Indian shuttler emerged victorious as she defeated her Danish opponent with a scoreline of 12-21, 20-22 in the first round match. Sindhu’s dominance was evident throughout the match, clinching the first set 12-21. Despite a spirited comeback attempt by her opponent in the second set, Sindhu managed to secure a narrow 20-22 win, advancing to the next round of the tournament.
In another disappointing outcome, the world’s number 1 badminton duo, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, suffered an unexpected early exit in the men’s doubles first round. The Indian pair faced a formidable challenge against the 34th-ranked Danish pair of Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard, ultimately losing in straight sets with a scoreline of 20-22, 18-21 in a match lasting 47 minutes.