Lakshya Sen began his 2026 season on a winning note, advancing to the second round of the Malaysia Open Super 750 after a hard-fought victory in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
Lakshya Sen Triumphs In First Round
The world No. 13 overcame a tight challenge from Singapore’s Jia Heng Jason Teh, prevailing 21-16, 15-21, 21-14 in a 70-minute first-round encounter. Ranked 21st in the world, Teh pushed Sen to the limit with his speed and consistency, but the Indian showed composure and resilience to close out the decider.
Lakshya Sen started confidently, racing to an early lead in the opening game before asserting control with sharp attacking play and solid defence. The second game saw a shift in momentum as Teh raised his intensity, forcing errors from the Indian to level the match. With the contest evenly poised, India’s ace shuttler responded strongly in the deciding game, dictating rallies from the back court and finishing points decisively at the net.
A bronze medallist at the 2021 World Championships, Lakshya carried forward the momentum from a strong end to last season, during which he lifted the Australian Open Super 500 title and finished runner-up at the Hong Kong Open. He will next face either sixth seed Christo Popov of France or Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu as he looks to build a deep run at the season-opening tournament.
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India’s women’s singles challenge suffered an early setback with Malvika Bansod exiting in the opening round. Returning to competitive action after a six-month layoff due to a left knee injury, Malvika went down 11-21, 11-21 to Thailand’s seventh seed and former world champion Ratchanok Intanon.
Later in the day, India will have further interest in the men’s singles as US Open Super 300 champion Ayush Shetty takes on Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, the Paris Olympics bronze medallist, in a high-profile first-round clash. In men’s doubles, the Indian pairing of M R Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan will open their campaign against Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita.
