Inconsistent Lakshya loses in Macau Open semis

India's challenge at the Macau Open came to an end on Saturday, August 2 as Lakshya Sen and Tharun Mannepalli suffered semifinal defeats in their respective men’s singles matches. Lakshya, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, struggled to match the pace and precision of Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan, and went down 16-21, 9-21 in straight games. The match came to an end in just 39 minutes as Lakshya struggles to find rhythm this season.

In the other semi-final, Mannepalli's dream run at the tournament came to an end in a thrilling three-game contest that saw the Indian fail to capitalise on a strong start and lose the match 21-19, 16-21, 16-21 in a match that lasted one hour and 21 minutes. The 21-year-old had a bad day at the office as the match was marked by fluctuating momentum and a flurry of unforced errors.

The current season hasn't gone according to plan for Lakshya as he has faced seven first-round exits and two second-round eliminations. However, the Indian ace looked to be in some form during the Macau Open as he looked to gain momentum heading into the World Championships.