Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lakshya Sen entered the quarter finals of the Macau Open, while compatriot Ayush Shetty crashed out in the Round of 16 at the BWF World Series Super 300 event. Second seed Lakshya had to dig deep against Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo, eventually clinching a hard-fought 21-14, 14-21, 21-17 win in an intense 67-minute encounter. The 23-year-old showcased resilience and sharp court control to seal his place in the last eight of the BWF World Tour Super 300 event.
Lakshya will next face China’s Zhu Xuan Chen for a place in the semifinals. However, there was disappointment for Ayush Shetty, the seventh-seeded Indian in the draw, who bowed out after a straight-sets defeat to Malaysia’s Justin Hoh. Shetty went down 21-18, 21-16 in a match where he struggled to gain momentum.
Meanwhile, India’s Tharun Mannepalli delivered the upset of the day, stunning top seed and World No. 15 Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in a dramatic three-game thriller. After losing the first game 19-21, the 23-year-old Tharun bounced back to win 21-14, 22-20, sealing the contest in just over an hour. Currently ranked World No. 47, Tharun has now reached his second Super 300 quarterfinal of the year, having made the same stage at the German Open in February. He next faces World No. 87 Hu Zhe An of China.
In mixed doubles, the fifth-seeded Indian pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto suffered a narrow defeat after winning the first game against Malaysia’s Jimmy Wong and Lai Pei Jing. In women’s singles, youngster Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj put up a spirited fight before going down to second seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand in three games.
