Lakshya Sen crashes out in opening round of Denmark Open

Odense [Denmark], October 15 : Lakshya Sen's campaign at the Denmark Open ended in disappointment as he was defeated by China's Lu Guangzu in the opening round on Tuesday. Sen, who had high hopes for a strong performance, could not maintain his early momentum, ultimately losing 21-12, 19-21, 14-21.
The Indian shuttler began the match strongly, taking the first game comfortably with a 21-12 victory. His aggressive play and sharp smashes kept Lu on the defensive, suggesting that Sen was on track for a straightforward win.
Sen continued his dominance into the second game, building a commanding 16-11 lead. However, a sudden shift in momentum allowed Lu to stage a comeback. The Chinese player displayed remarkable resilience, narrowing the gap and eventually taking the second game 21-19.
In the deciding game, Sen struggled to regain control as Lu maintained his newfound confidence. Despite Sen's efforts to keep pace, Lu's consistent and strategic play secured him a 21-14 win in the third game.
This defeat marks another early exit for Sen, following his disappointing performance at the Arctic Open.
Sen had previously bowed out in the pre-quarterfinals of that tournament, losing to Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen, according to Olympics.com.
He was India's sole representative in the men's singles competition at Denmark and had faced China's world No. 17, Lu Guangzu.
In the women's singles, Malvika Bansod was defeated by Nguyen Thuy Linh 21-13, 21-12 in the Round of 32.
Bansod, who reached the quarterfinals of the China Open, a BWF Super 1000 event, was eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals of the Arctic Open.