Lakshya Sen's Denmark Open Dream Dashed by China's Lu Guangzu

In a disappointing turn of events, Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen was ousted by China's Lu Guangzu in the Denmark Open's first round. Despite a strong start, Sen lost momentum and was defeated 21-12, 19-21, 14-21. This adds to Sen's recent early exits, highlighting his performance struggles.

Lakshya Sen's ambitions at the Denmark Open came to an unexpected halt as he suffered a first-round defeat against China's Lu Guangzu on Tuesday. Sen, who entered the tournament with aspirations of a strong showing, was unable to sustain his early competitiveness, ultimately bowing out with scores of 21-12, 19-21, 14-21.

Sen demonstrated promising form at the start, decisively capturing the first game 21-12 through aggressive play and precision smashes, putting Lu on the back foot. However, the momentum shifted dramatically as Sen, even with a 16-11 lead in the second game, allowed Lu to claw back and eventually take control, winning 21-19.

In the decisive third game, Sen couldn't regain his footing, as Lu continued his effective gameplay to seal the match. This defeat follows Sen's recent disappointing performance at the Arctic Open, where he exited in the pre-quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Malvika Bansod also faced an early exit in the women's singles after being defeated by Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh.

(With inputs from agencies.)