Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The unyielding defence of Kunlavut Vitidsarn became the undoing of Lakshya Sen on Friday, as India’s top men’s singles player crashed out of the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament. Playing against the World No. 2, Lakshya fought hard but eventually fell short, losing in straight games.
Vitidsarn, known for his remarkable defensive skills and fighting spirit, showed his class in his home tournament, beating Lakshya 21-19, 21-16 in 53 minutes on May 15. Lakshya’s loss meant India’s challenge in the singles competition came to an end, with PV Sindhu having crashed out earlier in the day against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi.
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Thailand Open: Quarter Final Highlights
On Friday, Lakshya showed glimpses of brilliance but was unable to sustain his best level against Vitidsarn. The Indian conceded a massive 2-11 lead in the opening game, putting himself at a serious disadvantage. However, as Lakshya often does, he raised his level, played deceptive shots at the net and unleashed unpredictable smashes to cut the deficit down to just one point.
Vitidsarn, rattled by Lakshya’s speed and skill at the net, ended up surrendering his nine-point advantage. What should have been a straightforward game stretched to 25 minutes before the Thai somehow held his nerve to edge past Lakshya 21-19.
The second game of the quarter-final proved far more straightforward. Chasing the match, a desperate Lakshya went searching for points and ended up committing too many errors. Playing on the slower side of the court, several of his lifts drifted long, while he repeatedly found the net from attacking positions in the latter half of the game.
Vitidsarn’s exceptional defence ensured that the Thai stayed alive in rallies by retrieving multiple attacking shots, frustrating the Indian shuttler throughout the contest.
In the end, Lakshya lost the second game 16-21 to bow out of the tournament.
SATWIK-CHIRAG RACE INTO SEMI-FINALS
Earlier in the day, top-seeded Indian men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the semi-finals of the Thailand Open after defeating Japan’s Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami 21-12, 21-13 in 41 minutes at the Nimibutr Stadium in Patumwan on Friday.
The defending Asian Games champions dominated from the very beginning, racing to a 10-0 lead in the opening game. Although the Japanese pair fought back in the second game and levelled the scores at 6-6, the Indians proved too strong. Satwik and Chirag will next face third seeds Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin of Malaysia for a place in the final.
In women’s singles, PV Sindhu took the opening game 21-19 against Akane Yamaguchi but could not maintain the momentum, with the Japanese star bouncing back to win the next two games 21-18, 21-15 in a hard-fought contest lasting one hour and 10 minutes.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
