India’s badminton stars had a mixed bag of results at the Macau Open Super 300, with Lakshya Sen securing a confident win and Rakshitha Ramraj staging an incredible comeback.
Lakshya Sen Finds His Rhythm
Fresh off a critical assessment from his coach Vimal Kumar, Lakshya Sen delivered a solid performance at the Macau Open. Kumar had urged Sen to gain more match practice and avoid tactical errors, especially with the World Championships approaching.
As the second seed in Macau, World No. 17 Sen comfortably defeated Korea’s Jeon Hyeok Jin 21-8, 21-14 in 38 minutes. While he dominated the first game, Jin pushed him harder in the second, testing his resolve. Sen is now set to face Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo in the next round.
Other Indian Men in Action
Joining Sen in the second round of men’s singles are Ayush Shetty and Tharun Mannepalli. Shetty, who previously won the US Open Super 300, continued his good run by beating Huang Yu Kai from Chinese Taipei 21-10, 21-11.
Tharun Mannepalli secured his spot with a 21-19, 21-13 win over fellow Indian Manraj Singh. However, it was an early exit for HS Prannoy, who lost to Indonesia’s Yohanes Saut Marcellyno in three games. Sathish Kumar Karunakaran also bowed out, falling to Malaysia’s Justin Hoh.
Rakshitha Ramraj’s Heroic Comeback
The standout performance in women’s singles came from Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj. In a thrilling three-game battle, she overcame Thailand’s Pornpicha Choeikeewong 18-21, 21-17, 22-20. The 18-year-old Indian showed incredible resilience.
Facing a daunting 2-10 deficit in the deciding game, Rakshitha dug deep, minimized her errors, and clawed her way back point by point. Her persistence paid off, securing a hard-fought victory in 63 minutes. She will now face second seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan.
Mixed Fortunes for Indian Women
While Rakshitha celebrated, most other Indian women’s singles players faced defeats. Aakarshi Kashyap lost to former World Champion Nozomi Okuhara, and Tasnim Mir was outmatched by top seed Chen Yufei.
Anmol Kharb had a tough outing against Busanan Ongbamrungphan, missing game-point opportunities in the opener. A surprising result was Unnati Hooda’s loss to Denmark’s Julie Dawall Jakobsen, especially after Hooda had recently stunned PV Sindhu at the China Open.
Doubles Teams Advance
In mixed doubles, fifth seeds Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto cruised past Thailand’s Ratchapol Makkasasithorn and Nattamon Laisuan with a 21-10, 21-15 win. Indian men’s doubles pair P Krishnamurthy Roy and S Pratheek K also moved to the second round, defeating D Konthoujam and Amaan Mohammad.
Additionally, second seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced in men’s doubles. However, top seeds in women’s doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, unfortunately, suffered an early exit from the tournament.
- Lakshya Sen secured a dominant win in his opening match, showing improved form.
- Rakshitha Ramraj staged an impressive comeback from a significant deficit to advance.
- Ayush Shetty and Tharun Mannepalli also moved into the men’s singles second round.
- HS Prannoy and top-seeded women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand faced early exits.
The Macau Open continues to be a crucial platform for Indian shuttlers to gain match experience and refine their game ahead of upcoming major tournaments.
