Tokyo: Three of the world’s top ten players, World No. 2 Kento Momota of Japan, No. 4 Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, and No. 10 Lakshya Sen of India, slumped to shock losses in their respective 2022 Japan Open opening matches on Wednesday.
The former World No. 1 Kento Momota who claimed two consecutive Japan Open in 2018 and 2019, was playing as if he was about to retire from the sport. He lost the first game to Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo of Indonesia 15-21. Although he held a 20-17 advantage in the second game, he allowed Wardoyo to reel off 5 consecutive points and to lose the second game 20-22.
This was Momota’s fifth first-round exit in 2022, after losing in the first round of the 2022 German Open, Badminton Asia Championships, Thailand Open, and Indonesia Open.
After winning the Badminton Asia Championships and the Thailand Open this year, Lee Zii Jia’s performance has been inconsistent. Lee who lost to Zhao Jun Peng of China in the third round of the World Championships last Thursday, couldn’t convert when he was leading at 20-17 against World No. 14 Kidambi Srikanth of India in the first game of the Japan Open. The Indian player ultimately held his nerves to defeat Lee 22-20, 23-21 in 38 minutes.
Srikanth will meet World No. 17 Kanta Tsuneyama of Japan next.
India’s reigning Commonwealth Games men’s singles gold medalist Lakshya Sen was also knocked out of the Japan Open after being ousted by World No. 21 Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 14-21, 13-21. Nishimoto will play World No. 8 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia on Thursday.
The upset continued in the men’s doubles event when World No. 2 Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi went down to World No. 20 Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin of Indonesia in straight-set 14-21, 17-21.
Meanwhile, in an all-Malaysian mixed double first-round battle between Chan Peng Soon/Cheah Yee See and Tan Kian Meng/Lai Pei Jing, World No. 12 Tan/Lai overcame Chan/Cheah 21-10, 21-14 to set up a last 16 meeting with Yang Po-Hsuan/Hu Ling Fang of Taiwan.
