Japan Open 2025: Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag Suffer Shock Second-Round Elimination

India’s Lakshya Sen and the doubles duo Satwik-Chirag crashed out of the Japan Open 2025 in the second round, leaving Anupama Upadhyaya as the country’s lone remaining contender.

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India suffered a major blow at the Japan Open 2025 as top shuttlers Lakshya Sen and the men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were knocked out in the second round of the BWF Super 750 tournament. Their early exits have significantly dented India's campaign in Tokyo, leaving Anupama Upadhyaya as the sole Indian contender in the tournament.

Lakshya Sen Falls to Kodai Naraoka

World No. 14 Lakshya Sen faced local favourite Kodai Naraoka in a high-stakes Round of 16 clash. Despite starting the match on a promising note, Lakshya failed to maintain momentum and went down in straight games, 19–21, 11–21.

The opening game was a close affair, with both players exchanging leads until the final moments. However, Naraoka's resilience under pressure saw him take the first game. The second game was one-sided, with Lakshya unable to find answers to Naraoka’s swift movement and deceptive shot placement.

Sen, who had shown glimpses of form in the opening round, appeared out of rhythm and struggled with consistency, an issue that has plagued his recent performances on the BWF tour.

Satwik-Chirag Suffer Rare Defeat

The men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, ranked among the top 3 in the world and seeded second in the tournament, were expected to mount a deep run. However, they succumbed to the Chinese pair Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in straight games, 22–24, 14–21.

The Indian duo fought valiantly in the first game, which saw multiple lead changes and game points saved. Ultimately, the Chinese pair edged them out in a nervy finish. The second game was far less competitive, as the Indians trailed early and never quite recovered, committing a string of unforced errors.

It was a rare early exit for Satwik-Chirag, who had been enjoying a consistent run on the international circuit, including their title win at the Indonesia Open last month.

Anupama Upadhyaya: India’s Lone Hope

With Lakshya and Satwik-Chirag out, 19-year-old Anupama Upadhyaya remains the only Indian left in the fray. The rising star will be in action later today in the women’s singles Round of 16. She faces a tough challenge but carries with her the hopes of Indian badminton fans.

Anupama, who recently broke into the top 30 in the BWF rankings, will need to play fearless badminton to advance in a draw loaded with top contenders.