India’s campaign at the YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2026 came to an end on Friday after Lakshya Sen fell in a hard-fought three-game quarterfinal against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
In a contest decided by fine margins and shifting court conditions, Sen went down 21-17, 13-21, 18-21, bringing the curtains down on the host nation’s singles hopes at the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 750 event organised by the Badminton Association of India. For long stretches, Sen matched Lin shot for shot, showing tactical clarity and resilience against a player he had never beaten in four previous meetings. The Indian started with intent, exploiting the slower side of the court in the opening game and forcing Lin into longer rallies at the forecourt.
Sen’s control at the net and timely changes of pace helped him pull away after the mid-game interval, allowing him to pocket the first game and momentarily turn the head-to-head narrative on its head.
However, the dynamics of the match shifted once the players changed ends. Lin, a speedy left-hander with sharp anticipation, adjusted quickly to the drift inside the hall. Sen, now playing from the faster side, struggled to judge his lifts, several of which sailed long or sat up invitingly for Lin to attack. The Taipei shuttler seized the initiative in the second game, stepping up his aggression and tightening his net play to level the match comfortably.
The decider followed a familiar arc seen in several high-level encounters this week, where adaptability to conditions proved decisive. Sen began strongly, racing to an early 4-0 lead, but Lin slowed the tempo and drew the Indian into flat exchanges at the net. The contest remained finely balanced until the change of ends, after which Lin reeled off six consecutive points to surge ahead 18-15. Sen showed commendable fight to claw his way back to 18-all, but Lin responded with an all-out attacking burst to close out the match in one hour and eight minutes.
Reflecting on the loss, Sen pointed to the conditions as a key factor. “It was a close match. The third set was more of a pressure game. He was playing well today as per the conditions. I was not prepared for the wind today. It was not that windy yesterday. He adapted to the conditions better,” Sen said. He also admitted to lapses at the forecourt, adding, “I was shaky at the net to lift the shuttle and made multiple errors from the front.”
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Lin’s victory maintained his perfect record against Sen and underlined his growing stature on the World Tour. He will next face 2025 World Championships bronze medallist Victor Lai of Canada, who advanced after edging past Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei in another three-game battle.
The men’s singles semifinals promise high-quality matchups. Former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore produced one of the upsets of the tournament by rallying past second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the quarterfinals. Loh will now take on third seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, who maintained his consistency with a straight-games win over Christo Popov of France.
In women’s singles, the top contenders continued to assert their dominance. World number one An Se Young of Korea brushed aside Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani, while former champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand eased past Beiwen Zhang of the United States. The semifinals will feature an all-Chinese clash between second seed Wang Zhi Yi and Chen Yu Fei, setting up a compelling battle between two of the most technically sound players on the circuit.
Elsewhere, the top seeds largely held firm across categories. In women’s doubles, Chinese pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning progressed with a straight-games win, as did Korea’s Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee. The mixed doubles draw saw contrasting styles on display, with Chinese top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping surviving a three-game test, while Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran cruised into the semifinals.
For Indian fans, Sen’s exit marked a disappointing end to an otherwise competitive showing at the national capital. While the quarterfinal loss will sting, the narrow margins against an in-form opponent also highlighted the areas—particularly adaptability and precision under pressure—that will shape Sen’s preparations heading into the next leg of the international season.
