Nightmare for French badminton! Toma Popov and Alex Lanier crash out in first round of India Open

The tournament began with a shocking result for world number 15 Toma Popov. Facing the young Canadian bronze medalist Victor Lai, Popov appeared to struggle to find his rhythm from the start. In the first game, Lai dominated the net, quickly surging to an 11–6 lead at the interval before closing it out 21–12.

Although Popov showed resilience in the second game, fighting back to win 21–16 with a series of powerful smashes, his energy vanished in the decider.

The third game was a total collapse for the Frenchman; he fell behind 11–2 early on and eventually lost the set 21–8. This defeat marks Popov's second consecutive first-round exit after his early loss to Kenta Nishimoto at the Malaysia Open last week. 

Following the match, a visibly frustrated Popov briefly stood at the net, staring at the scoreboard in disbelief before shaking hands with his opponent.

Similarly, Alex Lanier could not sustain his momentum from his quarterfinal run in Malaysia. Facing world number 26 Chi Yu Jen, Lanier started strongly but failed to win the crucial points. The first game was a tight contest, with the players locked at 17–17, but Chi utilized two unforced errors from Lanier to win 21–17. In the second game, Lanier led 19–18, yet he lost focus at the finish line, allowing Chi to secure a 21–19 victory.

The disappointments continued as Malaysian star Lee Zii Jia suffered his sixth straight first-round exit. Facing Denmark's Rasmus Gemke, Lee lost the first game 21-13 but leveled the match with an 18-21 win in the second. 

However, in the final game, Gemke’s defensive consistency frustrated Lee, leading to a 21-18 finish. This marks Lee's fifth consecutive loss to the Dane, keeping his winless streak alive.

In contrast, Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen provided a spark of brilliance. After losing the first game 18–21 to South Korea's number 1 Jeon Hyeok Jin, Nguyen transformed his strategy. He increased the pace of the game, winning the next two sets 21–17 and 21–11. His aggressive play in the final set, where he scored seven consecutive points, signaled a strong start to his 2026 campaign.

The India Open 2026 is a prestigious Super 750 event, held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi from January 13 to January 18. As one of the elite stops on the BWF World Tour, the tournament features a total prize pool of $850,000, with the men's singles champion set to take home approximately $59,500.