Indian badminton enthusiasts have reason to celebrate as Lakshya Sen and the doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have powered their way into the quarterfinals of the Denmark Open Super 750 tournament.
Lakshya Sen, currently world number 21, defeated local favorite and world number two Anders Antonsen in straight games. Sen controlled the match, securing a 21-13, 21-14 victory in 53 minutes. The win comes at the back of a trying time for Sen, who had a challenging season leading up to the Denmark Open. He will now face the winner of the match between China’s Weng Hong Yang and France’s Alex Lanier in the quarterfinals.
The men's doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also continued their strong run, advancing to the quarterfinals with a 21-19, 21-17 win over Chinese Taipei's Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan. The sixth-seeded Indian pair showcased their composure and tactical prowess in a 41-minute encounter, maintaining their unbeaten head-to-head record against the Chinese Taipei duo.
Reflecting on his win, Lakshya Sen stated, “Feeling really good about the win. The way I played, the way I started, the way I finished off both the sets… credit to him too, he played a really solid game and it was not easy to put the shuttle down. I had to be very patient in the rally, wait for my chances. More than the first game, the start of the second game was very important.”
Sen also acknowledged his journey this season, mentioning, "For the longest time, I’m also trying to find that level back. At the start of the year and mid-year, I was a bit injured and couldn’t really be 100% on training... As of now, I’m just trying to maintain my good fitness, play more matches, find my level, find my rhythm, and just enjoy playing.”
Meanwhile, the Indian mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also progressed to the quarterfinals after receiving a walkover in their round of 16 match. With these impressive performances, the Indian contingent looks promising as they head into the next stages of the Denmark Open 2025.
