New Delhi, Aug. 21 -- On a day when the home crowd at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium arrived expecting a routine march into the last 16, India's leading men's singles hope Lakshya Sen fell for a 73-minute Round of 32 exit at the BWF World Championships here on Wednesday.

The 14th seed, who won bronze at this event in 2021, was stunned 19-21, 21-19, 21-17 by 18-year-old American sensation Garret Tan in a physical match that saw dives, falls, medical timeouts and a complete reversal of tactical momentum.

Sen, who came into the tournament seeking to replicate his previous podium exploits, started aggressively. Taking the opening game 21-19, the world No.14 relied on fast front-court coverage and steep, angled half-smashes to keep the ath...