India’s star badminton player PV Sindhu has endured a tough outing as she crashed out in the first round of the Japan Open 2025 Super 750 tournament. The two-time Olympic medalist was defeated in straight sets by South Korea’s Sim Yu Jin which made it very difficult for her to bounce back.
Sindhu, aged 30, never really found her stride and was also afflicted with perpetual misjudgments, particularly in gauging the distance of opponent Sim Yu Jin’s shots. She lost 15-21, 14-21 in a match which was marginally over 30 minutes. While there was some strung-out rallies in the first game, Sim remained unperturbed and bagged her first-ever win against the Indian veteran. In the second game, Sindhu mounted a fleeting 1-6 fightback to get herself level at 11-all, but Sim shifted gears to close out the match in style.
This is Sindhu’s fifth first-round defeat in what has otherwise been a variable 2025 season, in which she’s not managed to deliver two good performances on the trot.
Lakshya Sen Shines With Convincing Victory
While Sindhu’s early elimination was disappointing, Lakshya Sen provided India with a glimmer of hope on day one. The world No. 18 produced a good show against China’s Wang Zheng Xing, defeating him 21-11, 21-18 to reach the round of 16. Dominating the first game, the 23-year-old sprinted to an 11-2 lead before finishing it in a hurry. Wang fought back more in the second, but Lakshya played under pressure to seal the match in straight games.
Sen will then face a test against Japan’s seventh seed Kodai Naraoka in what is turning out to be an intensity-filled contest in front of home fans.
Satwik-Chirag Begin Strongly In Men’s Doubles
In the men’s doubles event, No. 15 world-ranked Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty dominated Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Kim Dong Ju. The Indian pair were slow to settle initially but went on to take a lead and emerged winners in 42 minutes at 21-18, 21-10.
In the aftermath of a closely contested first half, Satwik and Chirag shifted gears with fearless net play and sharply attacking strokes, especially in the second game when they controlled proceedings. The former world No. 1 pair are in for a marathon as they track down their first title this season.
Eyes Now On Lakshya And SatChi Duo
India’s hopes now rely on young Lakshya Sen and old warhorse Satwik-Chirag duo to spearhead the charge at the Japan Open. Both will be keen to build on their promising beginnings and gain momentum as the tournament starts.
