Lakshya Sen Shines at All England Open, Upsets Defending Champ

Lakshya Sen advances to the All England Open quarterfinals by defeating defending champion Jonatan Christie. India's PV Sindhu and Malvika Bansod exit in women's singles. In men's doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty retire due to injury, while Rohan Kapoor & Ruthvika Gadde bow out in mixed doubles.

In a stunning display of skill and determination, Lakshya Sen stormed into the quarterfinals of the prestigious All England Open, ousting the tournament's defending champion and third seed, Jonatan Christie. The match, held in Birmingham on Thursday, saw Lakshya dominate with a decisive 21-13, 21-10 victory, securing his spot in the final eight.

Meanwhile, the prospects for India's representation in women's singles took a hit after two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and Malvika Bansod faced early exits. Sindhu, ranked 16th globally, lost in the opening round to world number 21 Kim Ga Eun with a 21-19, 13-21, 13-21 score, while Bansod fell to third seed Akane Yamaguchi 21-16, 21-13.

In men's doubles, India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty had to withdraw in their round of 16 match due to an unfortunate injury, granting a walkover to China's Xie HN and Zeng WH. The mixed doubles saw Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde give a resilient performance against 5th seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Wei Ya Xin, though they ultimately succumbed with scores of 10-21, 12-21.