Japan Open: Sathish goes down to Kantaphon in R16, Indian campaign ends

Indian shuttler Sathish Kumar Karunakaran conceded an opening game lead to lose to Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoen in a men's singles round of 16 clash at the Japan Open Super 750 on Thursday. 

The Indian shuttler lost the match 21-18, 18-21, 8-21 in 70 minutes. With his defeat, the Indian challenge at the Japan Open came to an end.

Sathish started the opening game well, with the two shuttles trading blow for blow. At one point, Kantaphon claimed the upper hand, leading the first game 18-14, but the Indian stormed back into the game with seven consecutive points and claimed the first-game lead. 

But World No. 40 Kantaphon did not let this setback weigh him down. In the second game, the two shuttles once again fought intensely. But this time, the Thai shuttler came out on top, winning the game 21-18 and forcing the decider. 

With momentum on his side, Kantaphon dominated the third game, leaving Sathish with no chance. He won the game 21-8 to advance to the quarterfinals. 

Earlier, Indian shuttler Kiran George, the other Indian men's singles player in the fray, was knocked out in the first round. Likewise, in women's singles, Ashmita Chalia, Malvika Bansod and Aakarshi Kashyap bowed out in the first round. 

India's star shuttlers, PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty gave the tournament a miss after their campaigns in the Paris Olympics 2024.