Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen powered into the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Masters with straight-set triumphs on Thursday, showcasing their form in Jakarta. The BWF Super 300 event has seen mixed fortunes for the Indian contingent, but these wins provide a much-needed boost.
Sindhu, bidding to reclaim her peak prowess, defeated Denmark’s Line Kjaersfeldt 21-19, 21-18 in a 43-minute battle. This extends her superior record to 6-1 over the European, avenging her sole loss from last year’s Sudirman Cup. Her path ahead pits her against China’s Chen Yufei, the tournament’s top seed and world No. 4, where Yufei leads 7-6 in their rivalry.
Lakshya Sen, fresh from his Olympic semifinal heroics, dismantled Hong Kong’s Jason Gunawan 21-10, 21-11 swiftly. Following his three-game win over Wang Tzu-wei, Sen’s next opponent is Thailand’s Panitchapong Teeraratsakul, promising another exciting matchup.
On the men’s side, Kidambi Srikanth scraped through 21-15, 21-23, 24-22 against Koki Watanabe and awaits Chou Tien Chen. Anmol Kharb takes on seasoned Nozomi Okuhara next.
Early exits marred the campaign for HS Prannoy, Tanvi Sharma, Kiran George (lost 21-17, 21-14 to Mohammad Zaki), and mixed doubles teams Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto plus Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani, all falling in opening rounds.
As the tournament progresses, Sindhu’s duel with Yufei could be a highlight, with Lakshya Sen aiming to sustain his momentum. These performances underline India’s depth and determination in global badminton.
