India’s badminton hopes took a meaningful hit at the Arctic Open 2025 in Vantaa, Finland, as top singles player Lakshya Sen crashed out in the first round on Wednesday.The world No. 19 faced a stern test against Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, ranked 11th, and ultimately fell in straight games, 21-15, 21-17, in a match that lasted 57 minutes.
Sen, who reached the semifinals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, appeared to struggle finding his rhythm early on. He trailed Naraoka 11-6 at the interval in the opening game and couldn’t mount a significant comeback,conceding the first game without much resistance. While the second game was tighter, with Sen only down by a single point at 11-10 at the break, Naraoka elevated his game after the interval. The Japanese star allowed Sen just seven more points, sealing his victory.
This defeat marks Sen’s sixth loss in eight encounters against the fifth-seeded Naraoka, underscoring a challenging matchup for the Indian. More broadly, this is sen’s 10th first-round exit of the 2025 badminton season, a concerning trend despite his recent appearance in the Hong Kong Open final last month.
The struggles weren’t confined to Sen. The men’s singles draw saw a dismal performance from the Indian contingent, with five out of six players bowing out in the opening round. Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth was forced to concede a walkover, while Kiran George had to retire due to an injury early in the second game after dropping the first.
Further down the order, Sankar Subramanian was defeated by France’s Christo Popov, 21-17, 21-11. Ayush Shetty also faced an uphill battle against Thailand’s top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn, losing 21-15, 21-16.
However, amidst the widespread disappointment, Tharun Mannepalli emerged as a beacon of hope for Indian badminton. The world No. 46 pulled off a remarkable upset, rallying to defeat France’s Toma Junior Popov, ranked 14th. After dropping the first game 21-11, Mannepalli showcased unbelievable resilience, fighting back to win the next two games 21-11 and a nail-biting 22-20.
the decider was a tense affair, with both players staying close until the interval. Toma Junior Popov appeared to seize control, holding four match points at 20-16. But Mannepalli displayed nerves of steel, saving all four match points before converting his own prospect to clinch a memorable victory and keep India’s men’s singles campaign alive.
in women’s doubles, India’s sole representatives, Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi, also faced an early exit. They were defeated in straight games, 21-9, 21-13, by the fifth-seeded Hong Kong China pair of Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam.
Despite the mixed fortunes on the opening day of the BWF Super 500 tournament, there were some positive results for India. Anmol Kharb advanced in the women’s singles,and the mixed doubles duo of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also secured their spot in the second round.
