India’s challenge at the Macau Open Super 300 ended on a disappointing note on Saturday, with both Lakshya Sen and Tharun Mannepalli bowing out in the men’s singles semifinals.
2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lakshya went down 16-21, 9-21 to fifth seed Alwi Farhan of Indonesia in just 39 minutes, while Mannepalli pushed Malaysia’s Justin Hoh to three games before losing 21-19, 16-21, 16-21 in a battle that lasted an hour and 21 minutes.
The result marked Lakshya’s deepest run in a BWF World Tour event this year. It was his first semifinal appearance in 10 tournaments since winning the Syed Modi International late last year.
The 2025 season has otherwise been tough for Lakshya, who finished fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics, as he endured six opening-round and two second-round exits, including at the China Open.
Lakshya showed signs of returning to form earlier in the tournament, securing a gritty three-game win over China’s Zhu Xuan Chen in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, for Tharun Mannepalli, ranked world No.47, the Macau Open marked a personal milestone, his maiden semifinal finish at a BWF Super 300 event. The 23-year-old shot to limelight after defeating top seed Lee Cheuk Yiu in the round of 16 and backed it up with a three-game win over China’s Hu Zhe An in the quarters.
Against Hoh in the semifinals, Tharun took the first game after building an 11-6 lead, but errors crept in late, allowing the Malaysian to draw level. In the decider, the Indian kept pace until 9-all, before conceding seven straight points, a gap he eventually failed to recover from.
India’s campaign had already suffered a blow on Friday, when top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, ranked ninth in the world, were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Malaysia’s Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal.
The women’s singles draw ended for India on Thursday, with Rakshitha Ramraj putting up a fight before losing 14-21, 21-10, 21-11 to Thailand’s second seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan.