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Lakshya Sen's Hylo Open Triumph: How He Toppled World No. 7 Popov

Lakshya Sen delivered an impressive performance at the Hylo Open 2025. He defeated world number seven Christo Popov in straight games with a 21-16, 22-20 scoreline. The victory took just 47 minutes and marked his sixth win over the French shuttler. Sen will now face compatriot Sankar Subramanian in an all-Indian second round clash.

Key Points: Lakshya Sen Beats Christo Popov in Hylo Open 2025 First Round

  • Lakshya Sen needed just 47 minutes to defeat defending champion Popov
  • Indian shuttler saved two game points in tight second game victory
  • Sen's dominant 6-point streak turned first game in his favor
  • Victory marks sixth win for Lakshya over Popov in their eight meetings
2 min read

Hylo Open 2025: India shuttler Lakshya Sen beats world number seven Popov to qualify for second round

Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen defeats world number seven Christo Popov in straight games to advance to Hylo Open second round, setting up all-Indian clash.

"The win in 47 minutes marked Lakshya's sixth victory over Popov in eight games. - Tournament Report"

Saarbrucken, October 29

India's top-ranked men's shuttler, Lakshya Sen, stormed into the second round of the ongoing Hylo Open 2025 badminton tournament, with a victory over world number seven Christo Popov of France at the Saarlandhalle on Wednesday.

Lakshya, ranked 17 in the world, required just 47 minutes to beat the defending champion Christo Popov in straight games with a 21-16, 22-20 scoreline. The Paris 2024 Olympics semi-finalist and the 2019 Hylo Open champion exchanged phases of dominance with Popov in the opening game.

Popov managed to enjoy a narrow 16-15 lead, but Lakshya upped the ante and clinched six consecutive points to take the first game. In the second game, the 24-year-old managed to save two game points before standing triumphant. The win in 47 minutes marked Lakshya's sixth victory over Popov in eight games.

In the second round, Lakshya will square off against his compatriot Sankar Subramanian, who overcame a tough three-game challenge (21-14, 18-21, 21-16) against Leong Jun Hao of Malaysia to progress in the tournament.

Meanwhile, former world number one Kidambi Srikanth bowed out of the tournament with a 21-19, 21-11 loss to Kiran George in an all-Indian badminton fixture. In the women's singles, world number 48 Shriyanshi Valishetty bamboozled third-seeded Danish shuttler Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt 21-19, 21-12 and will face fellow Rakshitha Ramraj, who trounced Spain's Clara Azurmendi 21-14, 21-16.

Young sensation Unnati Hooda defeated Brazil's Juliana Viana Vieira by a 21-4, 21-13 and will go head-to-head with Danish eighth seed Julie Dawall Jakobsen, who defeated Anmol Kharb by 26-24, 23-21 in a closely-fought battle. Anupama Upadhyaya, Aakarshi Kashyap, and Tanya Hemnath's women's singles campaign concluded after straight-game losses in their respective matches.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Great to see multiple Indian players performing well! Lakshya, Shriyanshi, Unnati - all winning their matches. Though disappointed about Srikanth's loss, but Kiran George is also Indian so it's still a win for us. All-Indian second round between Lakshya and Sankar will be interesting!
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David E
As someone who follows badminton closely, I must say Lakshya's mental toughness was impressive. Saving two game points in the second game against a top-10 player shows champion mentality. His 6-2 record against Popov proves this wasn't a fluke win.
S
Shreya B
Unnati Hooda's 21-4 win in the first game! That's absolutely dominant performance from the young talent. The women's team is showing great promise too. Hope we can see more consistent performances from all our shuttlers. 🤞
A
Arjun K
While the wins are encouraging, I'm concerned about the inconsistency. Some players like Anupama and Aakarshi lost in straight games. We need better support systems and coaching to help all our players perform consistently at this level.
M
Meera T
Shriyanshi beating the third seed from Denmark is huge! These young players are making India proud on the international stage. Can't wait to watch the next matches. Hope Lakshya can go all the way and win the tournament! 🥳

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