Lakshya Sen Reaches Australian Open Semis; Satwik-Chirag Exit Early

Lakshya Sen advanced to the men’s singles semifinals at the Australian Open Super 500, defeating Ayush Shetty 23-21, 21-11 on Friday. This marks a repeat victory for Lakshya, who had also beaten Shetty at the same stage in the Hong Kong Open earlier this year.

The seventh-seeded Lakshya will face second seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese-Taipei in the semifinals. Chou, ranked No. 9 in the world and a 2018 Asian Games silver medallist, had earlier defeated Farhan Alwi 13-21, 23-21, 21-16 in a 1 hour 23-minute marathon match.

Meanwhile, it was disappointment for India in the men’s doubles, as top-seeded pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowed out of the tournament, ending their campaign earlier than expected.

Lakshya’s progress keeps Indian hopes alive in singles at the Australian Open, while the doubles exit highlights the unpredictable nature of the high-stakes Super 500 event.