India’s hopes in the men’s singles draw at the Japan Open 2026 were dashed as Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty were eliminated in their opening-round matches at the BWF Super 750 tournament. Despite being seeded among the top contenders, Lakshya fell to Koki Watanabe in a 21-16, 21-14 defeat, while Ayush Shetty lost to Kunlavut Vitidsarn in a closely fought three-game battle.
Lakshya struggled to match Watanabe’s pace, with the Japanese player dominating key moments in both sets. Despite his efforts to stage a comeback, Lakshya could not turn the tide, leading to a quick 38-minute loss. On the other hand, Ayush fought hard, forcing a decider after a tense second game but eventually succumbed to Kunlavut’s prowess in the third game.
In the women’s singles competition, Unnati Hooda faced defeat against Huang Yu-Hsun despite a spirited fightback in the second game. With these exits, India’s singles campaign at the tournament has significantly narrowed, with PV Sindhu and the mixed doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila remaining as the country’s hopefuls.
