Macau – Indian badminton saw a mixed bag of results at the Macau Open, a BWF World Tour Super 300 event, on Friday, with two men’s singles players advancing to the semifinals while the top men’s doubles pair faced an early exit.
Sen Secures Maiden 2025 Semifinal Berth
Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen displayed formidable form to overcome China’s Zhu Xuan Chen in a hard-fought quarterfinal match. Sen clinched the victory with a score of 21-14, 18-21, 21-14 in a battle lasting one hour and three minutes. This win marks a significant milestone for Sen, as it is his maiden BWF World Tour semifinal appearance in 2025. He is now set to face Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan in the semifinal clash.
Tharun Mannepalli’s Breakthrough Performance
Adding to India’s singles success, the 23-year-old Tharun Mannepalli continued his impressive run, securing his first semifinal spot on the BWF World Tour. Mannepalli emerged victorious against China’s Hu Zhe An in a thrilling encounter, with the final score reading 21-12, 13-21, 21-18 after one hour and 15 minutes of intense play. Mannepalli will now prepare to take on Malaysia’s Justin Hoh for a coveted spot in the final.
Satwik-Chirag Stumble in Men’s Doubles Quarterfinal
However, it wasn’t all good news for the Indian contingent. The formidable men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty faced an unexpected challenge and ultimately stumbled in their quarterfinal match against Malaysia’s Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal. The former World No.1 pair fought valiantly in a three-game thriller but ultimately lost 14-21, 21-13, 22-20, concluding their campaign at the Macau Open.
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