INDIA’S LAKSHYA SEN MAKES A WINNING START AT KOREA OPEN

India’s Lakshya Sen came from a game down to beat local boy Choi Ji Hoon 14-21, 21-16, 21-18 in the first round of the men’s singles match of the Korea Open Badminton Championship that lasted for one hour and two minutes played here at Palma Stadium.

The World No. 9 Indian survived a scare losing the first game 14-21 to World No. 498. Both the players were tied at 14-14 and from there on the Korean shuttler took the game away from India’s Sen winning seven consecutive points In the second game, the World Championship medallist shuttler made a comeback to win it 21-16 and make it one game apiece. Both the players were tied at 6-6 and from thereon Lakshya Sen won four consecutive points to take the lead and ultimately went on to win the game.

In the third and final game, the Korean shuttler took an early lead of 9-5 but the World No. 9 Indian won five points on the trot to take a 10-9 lead. In a closely contested game, both the shuttlers were tied at 18-18 and then Lakshya Sen raised his game to win three consecutive points and pocket the final game 21-18.

It was not the best of days for Indian shuttlers in doubles events as in Men’s Doubles India’s pair of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala lost to Indonesia’s Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan 14-21, 19-21.

In another Men’s doubles match India’s Navaneeth Bokka and B. Sumeeth Reddy pair lost to Malaysia’s Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo pair 14-21, 12-21.