Lakshya shines in Opener, Malvika’s comeback ends early

India’s top men’s singles shuttler Lakshya Sen opened his 2026 season on a positive note, advancing to the second round of the Malaysia Open Super 750 with a gritty three-game victory, while compatriot Malvika Bansod bowed out in the opening round of the women’s singles here on Tuesday.

Lakshya, ranked world No. 13, battled past Singapore’s Jia Heng Jason Teh in a hard-fought encounter that lasted 70 minutes. The 24-year-old from Almora showed composure under pressure to seal the match 21-16, 15-21, 21-14, overcoming the world No. 21 in a contest marked by long rallies and momentum swings.

The 2021 world championships bronze medallist, who enjoyed a strong 2025 season with a title at the Australian Open and a runner-up finish in Hong Kong, will next face either sixth seed Christo Popov of France or Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu in the second round.

In women’s singles, Malvika Bansod’s comeback campaign suffered a setback as she went down 11-21, 11-21 to Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon. Playing her first competitive match after a six-month break due to a left knee injury, Malvika struggled to match the pace and precision of the former world champion and seventh seed.

Elsewhere, India will have more representation later in the day. Ayush Shetty, fresh from his US Open Super 300 triumph, is set for a tough test against Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, the Paris Olympics bronze medallist. In men’s doubles, the Indian pair of M R Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan will take on Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita in their opening-round clash.