Wang Outlasts Anmol, Ends India’s Last Hope
Anmol Upadhyaya, one of India’s emerging names in women’s singles, gave it everything on Thursday but couldn’t stop Z.Y. Wang from China, who prevailed 13–21, 21–11, 21–12 in a gripping Round 2 battle.

Anmol’s strong opening game promised an upset, but Wang turned up the tempo. Once she settled into rhythm, she moved Anmol around the court and exposed gaps in fitness and shot tolerance. After 53 minutes of hard-fought action, India’s last player at the Japan Open had exited.


“Sindhu, Lakshya, Satwik-Chirag” All Gone Too Soon

This loss capped a forgettable campaign for Indian badminton in Tokyo. Before Anmol, PV Sindhu had gone down in her first match, unable to sustain pressure in key rallies. Lakshya Sen looked in rhythm throughout his opening clash, but in the second match he crashed out in straight games.

The doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, seeded in the top four, were stunned in the Round of 16 match. A result that sent shockwaves through Indian fans. Even teenager Unnati Hooda, who had shown promise earlier in the season, couldn’t break into the quarterfinals.

Also read : No Quarterfinals for Satwik-Chirag as Wang-Liang Shut the Door https://clickingtosports.com/satwik-chirag-japan-open-2025-exit/

What Went Wrong in Tokyo?
Despite sending a strong contingent, India failed to produce a single quarterfinalist in any category. A rare occurrence in recent years. Whether it was fatigue, form, or tactical misfires, the collective failure is a setback ahead of bigger events in the badminton calendar.

For Anmol Upadhyaya, this outing still serves as a learning experience. But for a nation that came with medals in mind, the Japan Open 2025 turned out to be a complete washout.

Also read : Pakistan’s gold medallist Arshad Nadeem hits out at false promises: ‘Every plot announcement was fake’ https://timesofindia-indiatimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/athletics/shocking-pakistans-gold-medallist-arshad-nadeem-breaks-silence-every-plot-announcement-was-fake/amp_articleshow/122637771.cms?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17527568291548&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Ftimesofindia.indiatimes.com%2Fsports%2Fmore-sports%2Fathletics%2Fshocking-pakistans-gold-medallist-arshad-nadeem-breaks-silence-every-plot-announcement-was-fake%2Farticleshow%2F122637771.cms