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

At the BWF World Tour Super 500 series badminton tournament, the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2024, on Wednesday, India had a mixed day. Lakshya Sen lost badly in the men's singles draw, but PV Sindhu won her opening round.

Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu defeated eighth seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand 21-12, 21-8 in 52 minutes on Court 1 of the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium. At the same time, Paris Olympic Games semi-finalist Lakshya Sen was eliminated in three games, losing 22-20, 17-21, 16-21 to Malaysia's Leong Jun Hao in a match that lasted 74 minutes. India's top women's doubles pair Trisa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lost in the first round on Tuesday.

Sindhu, who was looking to win her first title since the Singapore Open in 2022 and snap a 24-month drought, got off to a bad start as Ongbamrungphan went ahead 5-1. But 20th-ranked Indian shuttler Sindhu clawed back and she was leading 11-10 at the break.

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.