Lakshya Sen bows out of BWF World Championships as Garrett Tan wins tense three-game battle

Lakshya Sen’s campaign at the BWF World Championships came to an end on Wednesday after the Indian shuttler suffered a three-game defeat to USA’s Garrett Tan in the men’s singles Round of 32 in New Delhi.

Sen, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, went down 21-19, 19-21, 17-21 in a closely fought contest at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

Sen made a strong start, edging a tight opening game 21-19, but Tan responded by taking the second game 21-19 to force a decider. The American then maintained his momentum in the final game, winning 21-17 to secure his place in the pre-quarterfinals.

The defeat comes a day after Sen fought back from a game down to beat Austria’s Collins Valentine Filimon 16-21, 21-8, 21-4 in his opening match.

The 2026 BWF World Championships are being held in New Delhi from August 17 to 23, marking the tournament’s return to India after 17 years.