Badminton

U Vimal Kumar's animated coaching during the All England Open badminton on Wednesday proved crucial as his ward Lakshya Sen overcame the challenge of Magnus Johannesen in the first round. Despite Sen's lead, Johannesen's powerful shots kept Kumar on edge.Johannesen, a highly-rated Danish player, is considered a rising star in men's badminton. His left-handedness poses a unique challenge to right-handed opponents. However, Sen's superior net play and patience in rallies earned him a 21-14, 21-14 victory.While Sen's strong start is promising, his path ahead becomes more challenging. On Thursday, he faces Johannesen's compatriot and world No. 3 Anders Antonsen. Sen won their first encounter, but Antonsen has dominated their subsequent meetings.This is the third consecutive year that Sen and Antonsen will face off in the All England Open, with both previous encounters occurring in Round 2. Sen eliminated Antonsen in 2021 en route to the final, while Antonsen prevailed in 2022.Antonsen has been in impressive form this year, winning the Malaysia Open and Indonesia Masters. Priyanshu Rajawat, meanwhile, suffered a disappointing loss to Indonesian Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo, extending his losing streak in the first two rounds of the BWF World Tour to five.In women's doubles, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa defeated Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam for the second time in as many months. They will now face Chinese fifth seeds Zhang Shu Xian and Zheng Yu in the second round. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, however, lost to Indonesian pair Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti.

India's top-ranked men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, have reached the final of the French Open Super 750 tournament after a dominant performance against South Korea's Seo Seung Jae and Kang Min Hyuk. This marks their third consecutive final appearance of the year and their third in this tournament.In a thrilling semifinal encounter, Rankireddy and Shetty showcased their exceptional skills, winning 21-13, 21-16 in straight games. The Indian duo controlled the pace of the match, dictating the rallies and forcing their opponents into errors.However, India's campaign in the tournament suffered a setback as Lakshya Sen's hopes of reaching the final were dashed by reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand. Kunlavut emerged victorious in a hard-fought battle, winning 20-22, 21-13, 21-11 in an hour and 18 minutes.In the men's doubles final, Rankireddy and Shetty will face Chinese Taipei's Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan, who defeated Japan's Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi in their semifinal. The Indian pair will be aiming to avenge their loss to the same Korean duo in the India Open final earlier this year.Rankireddy and Shetty's impressive run in the French Open is a testament to their consistent form and world-class abilities. They have established themselves as one of the most formidable pairs in the world and will be determined to add another title to their growing collection.

Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made a triumphant start to the French Open Super 750 tournament in Paris, securing a hard-fought victory over Malaysian duo Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi. The world no. 1 Indian pair, who won the title in 2022, displayed their dominance in the opening round, outplaying their world no. 12 opponents 21-13, 24-22 in a thrilling 47-minute encounter.Satwik and Chirag, who have finished second in their last three tournaments, will face another Malaysian pair, Man Wei Chong and Kai Wun Tee, in the next round.In other Indian action, World Championships bronze medalist Lakshya Sen overcame a slow start to defeat Japan's Kanta Tsuneyama 15-21, 21-15, 21-3 in his opening match. The unseeded Indian will now face third seed Li Shen Feng in the pre-quarterfinals.Commonwealth Games bronze medalists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also advanced to the second round in women's doubles, defeating Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto in an all-Indian clash. The two pairs are vying for qualification for the Paris Olympics, with Tanisha-Ashwini ranked 11th and Treesa-Gayatri at 14th in the Olympic Games qualification ranking.Treesa and Gayatri have been in impressive form, playing a crucial role in the Indian women's team's historic victory at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Malaysia last month.However, it was a disappointing day for Priyanshu Rajawat, who suffered a 8-21, 15-21 defeat to reigning Olympic champion and top seed Victor Axelsen.