Kumamoto Masters Japan 2024: PV Sindhu wins in first round, Lakshya loses and bows out

The 29-year-old Sindhu then took full control of the match and pocketed the first game by scoring seven successive points to win it. In the second game, with the same pace she was 4-0 up, the Thai girl managed her first point.

Ongbamrungphan did attempt a fightback in the second game, but Sindhu was in flow, taking 11 of the last 12 points to wrap up the match and confirm a last-32 meeting with Canada's Michelle Li. Michelle Li reached the second round with a straight-game victory over Japan's Natsuki Nidaira.

On Court 4 of the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium, Lakshya Sen started promisingly to first recover from being on the back foot at 13-16 in the first game against Leong Jun Hao to take the first game 22-20. After that, the same ice-cold nerves were missing in the next two as he went on to lose both the games inspite of putting a fighting performance.

He came back from 1-4 down in the second game to level the score to 6-6 but the Malaysian shuttler opened up a 11-7 lead. After Sen took the lead, Leong broke for 14-14 and took the next four points to win the game 21-17.

While Sen moved ahead in the decider, the Malaysian shuttler consistently mounted pressure and clinched it 17-16 in the last five points to win the third game and match for a disappointing tournament end for Lakshya.