Lakshya Sen defeated China’s Zhu Xuan Chen 21-12, 21-13 in the second round
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

India’s hopes of reclaiming the title ended in disappointment as they went down 0-3 to France in the semifinals of the Thomas Cup Finals, settling for a bronze medal here on Saturday.

The absence of Lakshya Sen proved costly as HS Prannoy joined Ayush Shetty and Kidambi Srikanth in defeat, losing 19-21, 16-21 to world No. 17 Toma Junior Popov, as India failed to win a single game in a completely one-sided contest.

India, champions in 2022, had already assured themselves of a medal by reaching the semifinals, adding to their bronze finishes in 1952, 1955 and 1979.

With the win, France became only the second European nation to reach the final after Denmark’s maiden title in 2016.

Ayush, drafted into the opening singles with Lakshya nursing a swollen right elbow, went down 11-21, 9-21 in 39 minutes to world No. 4 Christo Popov.

All eyes were on Srikanth to restore parity, but the former world No. 1 went down fighting 16-21, 18-21 to world No. 10 Alex Lanier in the second singles.

The onus was then on Prannoy to keep India alive, and though the 2023 World Championships bronze medallist put up a better fight, he could not get past world No. 17 Popov.

Srikanth vs Alex

Srikanth began on an even footing, matching his younger opponent at 3-3 in the opening game and mixing his strokes well with tight net play and steep smashes. However, Lanier stepped up the pace to open a lead at the interval.

With rallies kept short, Srikanth struggled with unforced errors and fell behind 9-14. Though he mounted a brief comeback to close the gap to 15-18, a net error halted his charge as Lanier converted his game points.

The second game followed a similar pattern. Srikanth recovered from an early deficit to draw level at 7-7 with a series of attacking winners, but Lanier’s strategy of injecting pace and pressing the forecourt forced more errors from the Indian, who slipped to 10-15.

Srikanth attempted another late push, narrowing the margin to 15-16, but errors crept in during the closing exchanges. Lanier earned two match points after winning a flat rally and sealed the contest when Srikanth found the net.

Ayush vs Christo

Earlier, Ayush, who has been on a rampaging run in this tournament, suffered his second loss to Popov, having also gone down in their only previous meeting at the Hylo Open in 2024.

Popov dictated the proceedings from the outset, using deep, probing returns to move Ayush around the court and seize early control of the net. The Indian showed initial patience but a string of unforced errors allowed the Frenchman to surge to an 8-3 lead.

Ayush produced a few flashes, including sharp cross-court and body smashes, but could not sustain the pressure as Popov extended his advantage to 11-6 at the interval and then 15-6, controlling the pace with precision.

Though a few errors from Popov briefly kept Ayush in the contest, the Indian failed to capitalise, and the Frenchman closed out the opening game comfortably after squandering a few game points.

The second game followed a similar pattern, with Popov tightening his grip early to open up a 4-1 lead and dominating the front court exchanges. Ayush looked tentative and struggled to read his opponent, while Popov repeatedly targeted his backhand corner to pile on the pressure.

The Frenchman raced to an 11-2 lead at the break and never relented, dictating rallies at will. Ayush’s occasional winners came too late as Popov surged to 19-8 before earning a cluster of match points to seal the contest with ease.

“I am a bit disappointed with the performance today but Christo played solid. His deception got me off guard, I was not really stable on the foot. I think overall his pace was really high and he was putting the pressure really good,” Ayush said.

“I think my overall game plan was not right, I would say. I think he just outclassed me today.

“I mean the point was to put the pressure on but I think he really pushed the pace and he was not giving me a chance to hit the net. I think he dominated the net and the shots were a bit fast today. I think that made the difference.”

Lakshya’s absence felt

Former India chief coach Vimal Kumar said the absence of Lakshya Sen was a major setback and was felt in the contest against France.

“France completely overwhelmed India today, and Lakshya’s absence was certainly felt at crucial moments. For India, this is a moment to regroup and come back stronger. The potential in this team is unquestionable,” he said.

Published – May 03, 2026 03:07 am IST

Having delivered the decisive win in India’s 3-0 quarterfinal triumph over Chinese Taipei, rising shuttler Ayush Shetty said there is collective belief within the team that they can reclaim the title they won in 2022.

The 20-year-old secured a stunning 21-16, 21-17 win over world No. 8 and reigning All England Open Badminton Championships champion Lin Chun-Yi in the second singles to seal the contest.

“We believe that we can go all the way. It’s always been like this. We have a solid team and everyone believes that we can do it,” Ayush, who recently reached the final of the Badminton Asia Championships, told BWF.

Comparing the knockout clash to the group stage, Ayush admitted there was added pressure but credited India’s early momentum for easing the situation.

“Yesterday was the group stage, but today there was a bit more pressure. Being 2-0 up made it a bit easier. I think I played with confidence and I’m happy to win for the team,” said Ayush, who has won all his matches so far in his maiden Thomas Cup apperance.

Ayush said his strategy was to stay aggressive and deny his opponent opportunities to dictate play.

“He’s an All England champion and has a really strong attack. The plan was to attack more and not give him many chances, and I think I executed that pretty well. I’m happy,” he said.

No overthinking: Lakshya

Playing the first singles, Lakshya Sen saved two match points to script an 18-21, 22-20, 21-17 win over the world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen to set the tone.

Lakshya credited a shift in mindset and a more proactive approach for his stunning comeback win, saying he stopped “overthinking” and trusted his instincts in the decisive moments.

“It was a really good first game from him. He was much more fearless and I was a bit unsure whether to attack or defend,” Lakshya said.

“The second and third game, even though they went to deuce, I just took an approach of not waiting for things to happen. I tried to be more proactive, especially in the closing stages.” The Almora shuttler said the team event pressure initially affected his decision-making, but timely advice from his coach helped him reset mentally.

“I wasn’t thinking too much about the last match, but in a team event there is a different kind of pressure. In the first game and even early in the second, I was thinking ‘what will happen’,” he said.

“My coach told me I didn’t look confident and that I was overthinking my strategies. He asked me to stop thinking too much and just play with my instincts. That’s what I tried to do in the second and third game.” Lakshya also highlighted the tactical adjustment that turned the match in his favour, as he moved away from short lifts and engaged Chou in longer rallies.

“In the first game, I was giving a lot of short lifts and he could jump and kill the smashes. But in the second and third, I was able to get him into longer rallies and move him around, which helped me play my shots better,” he said.

Acknowledging Chou’s experience and ability to raise his level in crunch moments, Lakshya said the key was to stay composed and push harder in tight situations.

“You always know that in the closing stages he will up the pace and put pressure on you. He is very experienced in those situations,” he said.

“The margins are always very small when we play. You just have to fight till the end and when it’s 15-all or 16-all, you need to give that extra five to ten per cent.” Having progressed to the semifinals, the former champions are assured of at least a bronze.

Staying calm: Chirag

World No. 4 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the Asian Games champions, also defeated Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin 23-21 19-21 21-12 in an hour and 15 minutes to put India in a commanding position.

“We really wanted that first tie in our favor. In the group stages, Lakshya lost two matches. So he really wanted it and we had actually gone to the place where we actually assembled before the match and to see him win from 20-18 down 20-20 and the way he celebrated it, I also celebrated the same way,” Chirag said.

Reflecting on their match, Satwik said: “I think we needed to be a little bit calm on our strokes, we are just too excited or too nervous, like few points we are playing right strategy, but execution was not so good.

“We had to calm down ourselves and that’s what we did I think at 19-17 somewhere. We thought let’s play the full court, we’ll just open up and see what they come up.

“So, I think that’s what I’ll play throughout the game I think we in the second game also we just kept our calm, a few points here and there would have finished. But third game also, we kept our calm and we just wanted to play a little bit more calm and stick to the strategy.”

Published – May 02, 2026 10:46 am IST

Lakshya Sen saved two match points to beat world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty added a gritty doubles win, before Ayush Shetty delivered the final blow as India registered a commanding 3-0 victory over Chinese Taipei to storm into the semifinals of the Thomas Cup Finals on Friday (May 1, 2026).

Lakshya, who kept on trailing for the better part of the contest, showed remarkable resilience to script an 18-21, 22-20, 21-17 victory in a marathon clash lasting one hour and 28 minutes.

World No. 4 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the Asian Games champions, then defeated Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin 23-21 19-21 21-12 in an hour and 15 minutes to put India in a commanding position.

The onus then shifted to Ayush Shetty, and the youngster delivered.

The 20-year-old, who recently reached the final of the Badminton Asia Championships, produced a breathtaking display, blending disciplined defence with attacking flair to notch up a 21-16, 21-17 win over world No. 8 and reigning All England Open Badminton Championships champion Lin Chun-Yi in the second singles to seal the contest. “This is not just a win to celebrate — it’s a performance to remember. One that reflects belief, preparation, and the growing strength of Indian badminton,” former India coach Vimal Kumar said.

India, the 2022 champions, will face either France or Japan in the semifinals.

The victory also assured India a medal in the prestigious Thomas Cup Finals, regarded as the World Men’s Team Championships.

India had won the Thomas Cup in 2022, besides winning bronze medals in 1952, 1955, and 1979. “”The team has every reason to be proud. And perhaps more importantly, this is the kind of victory that builds belief for what lies ahead,” Vimal added.

Lakshya vs Chou

With the head-to-head locked at 4-4 prior to this contest, the two engaged in another absorbing duel marked by long rallies, precise stroke-play and intense momentum swings.

Chou displayed his experience in the opening game, recovering from 10-15 down and overturning a late deficit to take the lead.

Lakshya, however, responded under pressure in the second game. Trailing 13-17, the Indian reeled off four straight points to draw level. Chou earned two match points, but Lakshya held his nerve, saving both before closing out the game to force a decider.

The 36-year-old Chou appeared to fade physically in the third game as Lakshya seized control with an 11-7 lead at the interval and maintained his composure to seal the contest.

Satwik-Chirag vs Liu-Wang

Satwik and Chirag struggled early, with multiple service fault calls disrupting their rhythm as they trailed 8-13 after being level at 5-5.

The Taiwanese kept their lifts flat and fast, forcing Chirag to vary angles and take pace off the rallies, but Chiu and Wang maintained control at 18-15.

Satwik and Chirag, however, refused to concede. They clawed back to 18-19 before a sharp body smash handed the Taiwanese two game points.

The Indians saved both under pressure and earned a game point of their own, eventually converting it after drawing an error to snatch the opening game.

The second game remained tight, with both pairs locked at 8-8 in the early exchanges. Service issues continued to haunt the Indians, including another height fault and a long flick serve, but they still managed to carry a slender one-point lead into the interval.

From 14-11 up, Satwik and Chirag looked set to consolidate, but the Taiwanese fought back to level terms. A flurry of attacking exchanges followed, with momentum swinging both ways before Chiu and Wang edged ahead late to force a decider.

The third game saw a complete shift in control. The Indians came out aggressive and precise, racing to a 9-3 lead and extending it to a six-point cushion at the break amid a charged atmosphere with drums, horns and relentless crowd support.

With Satwik dominating at the net and from the backcourt, the Indian pair stretched the lead to 13-6 and then 15-7. Satwik and Chirag soon earned a cluster of match points and sealed the contest comfortably, putting India firmly in control of the tie.

Ayush vs Lin

Ayush delivered a composed and attacking performance to outplay Lin, who wasn’t 100 per cent as he has been managing a leg injury, the heavy strapping being an indicator.

Trailing 7-11 in the opening game, Ayush showed patience in defence before unleashing his attacking game, reeling off a series of winners to turn it around at 13-12.

With Lin struggling to penetrate his defence and committing errors, the Indian surged ahead with seven straight points to open up a 17-13 lead, eventually closing out the game with a fierce cross-court smash.

Ayush carried the momentum into the second game, overcoming an early deficit to take control at 9-7 and extending it to 11-8 at the break as Lin’s attack continued to falter.

Backed by vocal support from the Indian camp and chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, Ayush maintained his dominance, dictating rallies and punishing loose returns with powerful smashes to move to 15-11 and then 19-13.

Lin attempted a late fightback, narrowing the gap to 16-19, but Ayush stayed composed in the closing exchanges, earning multiple match points and sealing the contest when his opponent went long.

As the winning point was secured, Indian teammates rushed onto the court, forming a tight huddle before breaking into celebratory circles, capturing the emotional moment.

Published – May 02, 2026 02:27 am IST

Indian shuttlers continued to disappoint at the international stage with Lakshya Sen and the star men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty crashing out in the second round of the Indonesia Masters Super 500 badminton tournament in Jakarta on Thursday. Sen, ranked 10th in the world, extended his struggling run on the international circuit with a loss in the men’s singles second round against Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto 16-21 21-12 21-23 in 50 minutes. If that was not enough, Asian Games champions Satwik and Chirag, who reached back-to-back semifinals at Malaysia Super 1000 and India Super 750 in the last two weeks, also exited from the tournament with a hard-fought 20-22 21-23 loss against Thai combination of Kittinupong Kedren and Dechapol Puavaranukroh.

Earlier in the day, the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanshia Crasto squandered an early lead to go down 21-18 15-21 19-21 against Malaysia’s Pang Ron Hoo and Su Yin Cheng in the second round.

Sen, an Asian Games silver medallist and Commonwealth Games gold winner, made a poor start to the match as he lost the first game.

The Indian’s famed defence was ably tackled by the lower-ranked Nishimoto as he took a 9-3 lead and never looked back, despite Sen trying to make a comeback at 10-11. But Nishimoto employed fast rallies and closed out the first game comfortably.

Sen made a fast start to the second game and raced to a 6-3 lead with an aggressive smash.

Nishimoto opted for long rallies to tire out Sen but the Indian’s smart strokeplay handed him a 11-6 lead at the break.

Nishimoto then committed plenty of errors at the net as Sen’s retrieving capacity was on full display while he extended his lead to 16-8.

The Japanese was troubled by the drift as Sen picked up points at will to close out the second game at 21-12 and force the match into the decider.

With the change of sides, it was then Sen’s turn to struggle as Nishimoto raced to a 5-1 lead in the decider.

But a calm and composed Sen kept up up with his opponent till 7-7.

Sen took the lead for the first time in the decider with a jump smash but committed errors due to the drift to trail 9-11 at the final break of the tie.

Later in the day, the women’s doubles pair of Crasto and seasoned Ashwini Ponnappa will be up against Malaysian combination of Pei Kee Go and Mei Xing Teoh.

On Wednesday, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and upcoming men’s singles player Priyanshu Rajawat crashed out in the opening round.

India clinched a bronze medal in the last edition of the competition in Dubai in 2023.© BAI

Ace Indian shuttlers PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen along with men’s doubles pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will lead the Indian contingent in the upcoming Indonesia Masters 2025 badminton tournament which will kickstart on Tuesday in Jakarta, Indonesia. PV Sindhu, 16th in the women’s single; world badminton rankings, will face world No 32 Nguyen Thuy Linh of Vietnam in her tournament opener. Aakarshi Kashyap, Anupama Upadhyaya and Rakshitha Ramraj are also in the women’s singles draw at the Indonesia Open.

World No 12 Lakshya Sen, who was eliminated in the first round of both the Malaysia and India Open earlier this month, will face Japan’s Takuma Obayashi in his round of 32 fixture.

Priyanshu Rajawat and Kiran George will also be a part of India’s charge in men’s singles at the Indonesia Masters 2025.

In the men’s doubles event, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy will be India’s only challenge.

The Indian badminton players, who won the Indonesia Open Super 1000 back in 2023, recently made it to the semi-finals of the Malaysia and India Open.

Chirag-Satwik are ninth in the men’s doubles world badminton rankings.

India’s sole representative in the women’s doubles section at Indonesia Masters 2025 are Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto and they will face Thailand’s Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn-Sukitta Suwachai in the first round.

Tanisha Crasto is also a part of the mixed doubles draw with Dhruv Kapila. They face Indonesia’s Adnan Maulana and Indah Cahya Sari Jamil.

India squad for Indonesia Masters 2025:

Men’s singles: Lakshya Sen, Priyanshu Rajawat, Kiran George, Kidambi Srikanth (Q), Ayush Shetty (Q)

Men’s doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty

Women’s singles: PV Sindhu, Aakarshi Kashyap, Rakshitha Ramraj, Anupama Upadhyaya, Isharani Baruah (Q), Tanya Hemnath (Q)

Women’s doubles: Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto

Mixed doubles: Tanisha Crasto-Dhruv Kapila, Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Gadde.

Spotlight will be firmly on the consistent Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty as they lead the host nation’s largest-ever contingent at the star-studded India Open Super 750, beginning in New Delhi on Tuesday. The former world No. 1 men’s doubles pair, the 2022 Indian Open champions, has made a good start to the 2025 season, reaching the semifinals at the Malaysia Super 1000 last week. Despite the disappointment at the Paris Olympics, the duo has emerged as India’s most reliable performers over the last two years, regularly advancing deep into draws, and there will not be any exception in the USD 950,000 event.

Satwik and Chirag, semifinalists at the 2024 China Masters, will face Malaysia’s Wei Chong Man and Kai Wun Tee in their opening round.

While the Indians have shown impressive form, they will be seeking improvement in quick rallies and service variations in a bid to better their runners-up position in the tournament last year. However, the Indian pair will face stiff competition from top names such as China’s Olympic silver medallists Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, Paris bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia, Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen, and Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto.

Sindhu back in action

This year’s tournament sees an impressive 21 Indian entries, with two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu back in action after missing the season-opener in Kuala Lumpur due to her wedding.

The 29-year-old Hyderabadi returned to winning ways, lifting the Syed Modi International title, although it was against a predominantly Indian field.

Sindhu will begin her campaign against compatriot Anupama Upadhyaya and is drawn to face Japan’s rising star Tomoka Miyazaki – the 2022 world junior champion and her conqueror at last year’s Swiss Open – in a potentially intriguing clash.

Lakshya Sen, fresh from winning the Syed Modi title and finishing third at the Kings Cup, will hope to bounce back from an early exit in Malaysia.

But the 2022 India Open champion faces a tough opening test against Chinese left-hander Hong Yang Weng.

HS Prannoy, returning after a five-month break following a pre-quarterfinal exit at the Paris Olympics, stumbled in the second round in Malaysia.

However, the 32-year-old veteran showed signs of his old self and will look to build when he faces Chinese Taipei’s Li Yang Su in the first round.

A victory could set him up for a showdown with second seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.

With marquee players like Olympic champions Viktor Axelsen and An Se Young, and world No. 1 Shi Yuqi leading the competition, high-octane action could unfold at KD Jadhav Indoor Hall, Indira Gandhi Stadium.

The tournament will feature 18 of the world’s top-20 men’s singles players and 14 of the top-20 women’s singles shuttlers.

Young names eye glory

Among the Indians, some promising youngsters will be eager to make a mark.

Priyanshu Rajawat faces a tough challenge in his opening round against sixth-seeded Japanese Kodai Naraoka, while Malvika Bansod meets third seed Chinese Yue Han, and Aakarshi Kashyap faces eighth-seeded Thai Pornpawee Chochuwong.

In the women’s doubles, India’s hopes rest on fifth-seeded Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who will face Japan’s Arisa Igarashi and Ayako Sakuramoto in the first round.

Meanwhile, Guwahati Masters winners Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa, seeded seventh here, will take on the British duo of Chloe Coney and Estelle Van Leeuwen.

An inconsistent Lakshya Sen faltered in his opening match, while HS Prannoy endured a frustrating start to the season-opening Malaysia Super 100 badminton tournament as his opener against Canada’s Brian Yang was suspended midway due to a leaking roof at the Axiata Arena on Tuesday. Lakshya, coming off a title win at the Syed Modi International in Lucknow and a third-place finish at the King Cup International, failed to replicate his recent form and succumbed to Chi Yu-jen of Chinese Taipei, losing 14-21, 7-21. The Indian shuttler’s game was riddled with unforced errors, leaving him with little chance against the 27-year-old.

Lakshya succumbs to errors

The opening game was tightly contested in the initial stages as the two players traded points to stay level at 6-6.

Leading 9-7, Yu Jen claimed a crucial long rally with a cross-court smash and entered the mid-game interval with a three-point cushion, aided by a misjudgment from Lakshya.

After the break, Lakshya began committing a flurry of unforced errors, allowing his opponent to build confidence and extend his lead to 13-9.

In the end, Lakshya’s inconsistency proved costly as three successive unforced errors handed Yu Jen the opening game.

The Indian’s struggles carried over into the second game as well, where he quickly found himself trailing 1-8.

By the mid-game interval, Lakshya faced an uphill battle, trailing 4-11. His downward spiral continued as Yu Jen surged ahead to 19-7, just two points away from victory.

A netted shot from Lakshya gave Yu Jen 13 match points, and the Chinese Taipei player sealed the win with a decisive cross-court smash.

Treesa-Jolly ease into second round

Earlier in the day, India’s women’s doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand easily overcame Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai, beating the Thai pair in straight games in the opening round.

The Indian pair, seeded sixth here, won 21-10, 21-10 in just 30 minutes to secure a place in the round of 16.

On a high following their success in the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament in Lucknow, Treesa and Gayatri faced little challenge from the unseeded Thai pair taking a 17-8 lead in no time.

The second game saw the Thai pair go neck-and-neck till 8-all before Treesa and Gayatri ran away with the game and the match.

File photo of Lakshya Sen.© AFP