NEW DELHI, Aug. 20 -- 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 athletic American at bay. But as Tan started using his height to fire booming, downward smashes, neutralising Sen's net speed with heavy backline clears, the script inverted. Following the gruelling decider, where Sen fought back from 11-4 down to bring the score to 17-16 before errors cost him the final stretch, the Indian required immediate medical attention for bruises sustained from multiple full-court dives before addressing the media. "It was a very tough match, a hard-fought match. I gave my all, whatever I had in my tank. I was also exhausted physically in the third game," Sen said. "I will give a lot of credit to him, he played a solid game. I am a little disappointed, though I gave my all in the end it wasn't enough. He was just a better player today." Addressing his tactical struggles through the contest, Sen said Tan's aggressive length kept him perpetually on the back foot. "He was quite dominant. I was always playing cover-up. I had my chances, but he was taking the points and I was playing under pressure a lot of times." The mood in the opposite camp was one of jubilation mixed with awe. Tan, a southern California boy who splits his training between USA and Taiwan, played with a maturity beyond his age and ranking (world No.92). Sitting in his corner was an all-female support system featuring coach Paula Lynn and current shuttler Lauren Lam, who lost her women's doubles Round of 32 partnering Allison Lee, on Tuesday. Lynn praised Tan as a "hard-working, God-fearing athlete". Asked about "lady luck", the all-female corner, Lynn quipped that every young player benefits from "a bit of motherly coaching" and "big sister support" during high-stakes matches. Former world champion PV Sindhu coasted into the pre-quarterfinals with a 21-16, 21-17 win over Canada's Zhang Wen Yu, setting up a clash against third seed Wang Zhi Yi of China. Ayush Shetty, who ousted defending champion Shi Yu Qi on the opening day, dismantled Sri Lanka's Dumindu Abeywickrama 21-8, 21-10. In men's doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received a walkover into the Round of 16. Unnati Hooda though squandered two match points against Michelle Li of Canada, eventually losing 11-21, 21-9, 23-21....