Lakshya Sen on Wednesday crushed Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in straight games in the first round, while Kidambi Srikanth, too, won his opener in straight games at the Indonesia Open, the year’s third and final Super 1000 event on the BWF World Tour, at the Istora Senayan sports complex in Jakarta.
The world no. 19 Indian, Lakshya, needed 33 minutes to get past world no. 11 Lee. In the opening game, the Indian youngster, who made a third-place finish at the Thailand Open followed by an opening-round exit at Singapore Open, won 21-17 before sealing the contest 21-13 in the second game.
It was their first meeting after a year since the duo last met at the Thomas Cup in May 2022, when Lakshya went down to the former world no. 2 Lee in India’s crucial quarterfinal tie.
With this victory, Lakshya now has a 3-1 head-to-head record against Lee.
Srikanth, meanwhile, needed 46 minutes to get the better of China’s Lu Guang Zu 21-13, 21-19. Srikanth will face Lakshya in the pre-quarterfinal.
Priyanshu Rajawat, the qualifier, advanced to the pre-quarterfinal after Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand gave a walkover due to an injury. He will face the winner of the match between Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and Hans-Kristian Vittinghus in the round of 16.
However, in women’s singles, Aakarshi Kashyap was no match for this season’s most prolific performer, An Se Young, who is fresh from winning two successive titles at Thailand Open and Singapore Open on the World Tour’s Asian voyage.
In an action in court three, Young needed 28 minutes to seal her place in the pre-quarterfinal. Aakarshi lost the first game 10-21, and in the second game, Young conceded mere four points as she thrashed the Indian 21-4.
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