India stumbles in opening round of Japan Open as Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty and Unnati Hooda all exit

India’s Japan Open Super 750 campaign suffered a major setback on Wednesday when Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda and Lakshya Sen were all knocked out in the opening round.The early exits come at a worrying time, with India set to host the World Cup in New Delhi next month after a 17-year gap.Ayush came closest to pulling off an upset when he crushed former world champion and second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand before losing 19-21, 25-23, 15-21 in an 82-minute battle.Unnati Hooda fought back after losing the first game but lost 21-16, 16-21, 15-21 to Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Hsun, her second defeat against the same opponent. Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen struggled against Japan’s Koki Watanabe and lost 16-21, 14-21 in just 38 minutes.Ayush, 21, got off to a bright start and took an early lead before Kunlavut fought back to claim the opener. The Indian stayed in the match in the second game and produced a remarkable turnaround as the Thai won four match points. Ayush saved all four to win a thrilling rally and force the deciding game.The momentum didn’t last long though, with Kunlavut quickly taking control in the decider, opening up a healthy lead before closing out the match comfortably.With three first-round exits, India’s hopes now rest on two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto.Sindhu will face fifth seed Han Yue of China in the second round on Thursday, while Dhruv and Tanisha will take on top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping.