# BWF World Championships: PV Sindhu and Ayush Shetty Advance to Pre-Quarterfinals as Lakshya Sen Bows Out After Grueling Battle

> India experienced a mixed day at the BWF World Championships as PV Sindhu, Ayush Shetty, and Satwik-Chirag progressed to the pre-quarterfinals, while Lakshya Sen suffered a narrow three-game loss.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Sports · **Published:** 2026-08-19 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/sports/vishva-baidamintana-chainpiyanashipa-pv-sindhu-aura-ayush-shetty-pri-kvartara-phainala-men-pahunche-lakshya-sen-ka-thakau-mukabale-18530 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** BWF World Championships, PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Badminton, Indian Sports

The BWF World Badminton Championships produced a day of contrasting fortunes for the Indian contingent. Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and rising star Ayush Shetty delivered dominant performances to secure their spots in the pre-quarterfinals of their respective singles events. They were joined in the round of 16 by India's premier men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, as well as the mixed doubles team of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto. However, India's campaign suffered a significant setback in the men's singles draw when former bronze medalist Lakshya Sen was eliminated following an exhausting three-game battle.

## Lakshya Sen Suffers Heartbreaking Three-Game Defeat Against Garrett Tan
In the men's singles round of 32, former World Championship bronze medalist Lakshya Sen squared off against the United States' Garrett Tan, a former World Junior No. 1. Throughout the encounter, Tan's blistering pace, aggressive smashing, and tactical deception presented severe challenges for the Indian shuttler. Tan effectively targeted Sen's backhand rear corner while frequently utilizing jump smashes to dictate the tempo of the match.

Garrett Tan opened the first game strongly by establishing a 4-1 advantage. Lakshya Sen fought back immediately, triggering a tense point-for-point contest that saw the scores level at 5-5 and remaining deadlocked up to 18-18. Exhibiting great composure in the closing moments, Sen claimed the crucial final points to capture the opening game 21-19.

The second game saw Tan intensify his offensive tactics and control the rallies from the outset, racing to an early 4-0 lead. Trailing 15-20, Sen mounted a spirited resurgence by saving four consecutive game points to close the gap to 19-20. However, Tan held his nerve to seal the game 21-19 and level the match at one game apiece.

The deciding game began with Tan asserting total dominance to build a commanding 12-4 lead. Sen rallied courageously once more, narrowing the deficit to 15-17. The 17th point featured an extraordinarily long and grueling rally during which Tan tumbled forward and required a medical timeout. Upon returning to the court, Tan promptly delivered a jump smash to extend his lead to 18-16. Shortly after, a long service from Sen gave Tan the opportunity to land a cross-court smash and earn four match points. Though Sen saved initial match points with forceful smashes, he slipped during the subsequent rally. Tan seized the opening to drop the shuttle into the open court, taking the final game 21-17 to seal a memorable victory.

Following the match, Lakshya Sen rested his strained leg before addressing reporters. Reflecting on the intense physical toll of the contest, Sen stated, **"It was a very tough match and in the third game I was physically exhausted."** He commended Tan's superior performance on the day and noted that he was forced to play defensively for long stretches under relentless pressure.

## PV Sindhu and Ayush Shetty Secure Spots in Round of 16
Pursuing an unprecedented sixth medal at the World Championships, India's top female shuttler PV Sindhu displayed fine form in her round of 32 fixture. The 2019 World Champion and ninth seed comfortably dispatched Canada's Wen Yu Zhang in straight games 21-16, 21-17 to advance to the pre-quarterfinals. Sindhu will now face a challenging round of 16 encounter against China's third seed Wang Zhi Yi.

In the men's singles event, young Indian contender Ayush Shetty produced an emphatic display against Sri Lanka's Dumindu Abeywickrama. Shetty dominated the match from start to finish, winning 21-8, 21-10 to march into the pre-quarterfinals. He is set to face Indonesia's formidable opponent Alwi Farhan in the next round.

## Doubles Action: Satwik-Chirag and Dhruv-Tanisha Progress, Hariharan-Arjun Knocked Out
India's star men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the pre-quarterfinals after receiving a walkover. The fifth-seeded Indian duo, who are two-time World Championship bronze medalists, had received a bye in the opening round and were scheduled to play Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle in the round of 32.

However, the Scottish pair withdrew late after Alexander Dunn suffered a right ankle injury during his mixed doubles match alongside Julie MacPherson against Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai while trailing 8-18 on Wednesday. The injury forced Dunn and Pringle to pull out, granting Satwik and Chirag a direct passage into the round of 16.

In the mixed doubles event, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto maintained India's positive momentum by defeating Macau's Leong Iok Chong and Ng Weng Chi in straight games 21-11, 21-11. Conversely, India's men's doubles tandem of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun exited the tournament in the round of 32 after losing 17-21, 14-21 to the South Korean pair of Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju.

## Unnati Hooda's Spirited Debut and Rasmus Gemke's Major Upset
Making her debut at the prestigious World Championships, Indian teenager Unnati Hooda produced a valiant effort in the women's singles round of 32 against Canada's 12th seed Michelle Li. Hooda captured the opening game 21-11 with aggressive play, but the experienced Canadian fought back strongly to claim the match 21-11, 9-21, 21-23 after a dramatic decider.

Meanwhile, the men's singles draw witnessed a major shock when Denmark's Rasmus Gemke eliminated All England champion and World No. 12 Lin Chun-yi of Chinese Taipei. After dropping the first game, Gemke staged a remarkable comeback to prevail 13-21, 21-17, 21-11 and cause one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

## What this means for you
**Across India:** The progress of PV Sindhu, Ayush Shetty, and Satwik-Chirag into the pre-quarterfinals keeps India's medal hopes strongly alive for badminton enthusiasts across the country.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Who defeated Lakshya Sen at the BWF World Championships?
Lakshya Sen was eliminated in the round of 32 by Garrett Tan of the United States with a scoreline of 21-19, 19-21, 17-21.

### 2. Who is PV Sindhu scheduled to play next?
After beating Canada's Wen Yu Zhang, PV Sindhu will face third seed Wang Zhi Yi of China in the pre-quarterfinals.

### 3. How did Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty receive a walkover?
They received a walkover after Scotland's Alexander Dunn suffered an ankle injury, forcing him and his partner Adam Pringle to withdraw.

### 4. Who did Ayush Shetty defeat in the round of 32?
Ayush Shetty defeated Sri Lanka's Dumindu Abeywickrama 21-8, 21-10 to book his spot in the pre-quarterfinals.

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