Junior world No 1 Lakshya Sen was knocked out of the Asian Junior Championships in Jakarta in the fourth round on Thursday. Sen, 16, lost to Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi 21-13, 23-25, 20-22 in a match that lasted for an hour and five minutes.
Sen had had an easy path to the fourth round after receiving a bye in the first and then charting straight-games wins in the next two. He was expected to get over the unseeded Lin too and was on his way after winning the first game 21-13. However, a spirited comeback from the Chinese Taipei youngster derailed Sen’s campaign.
India’s Kartikey Gulshan Kumar, seeded 15th, was also knocked out in the fourth round by China’s Li Shifeng. Kumar lost 17-21, 17-21 to the unseeded Chinese. Sen and Kumar were the only two Indians left in the draw following the early exits of Arintap Das Gupta and Jashwanth Dandu.
There was good news for India in the women’s singles draw, as fifth seed Aakarshi Kashyap reached the quarter-finals following a straight-games win Indonesia’s Eprilia Mega Ayu Swastika. Kashyap won 21-15, 21-15 in 35 minutes. Kashyap is the only Indian left in the draw following the early exits of Ashmita Chaliha, Prashi Joshi, Ira Sharma.
