Young Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty put up a spirited fight before going down in three games against France’s Toma Junior Popov on a disappointing day for the Indians at the Denmark Open Super 750 badminton tournament on Tuesday.

World No. 30 Shetty, who bagged his maiden Super 300 title at the US Open earlier this year, matched the 15th-ranked Frenchman shot for shot in a gruelling one-hour 17-minute contest before losing 19-21, 21-17, 15-21.

The 20-year-old Indian had his moments, especially in the second game where he kept up a steady rhythm to force a decider. However, Popov’s experience and sharper net play made the difference in the closing stages. This was Shetty’s second consecutive defeat to Popov after losing to him in the pre-quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters in May.

In women’s singles, India’s Anmol Kharb, ranked 46th in the world, went down to seventh seed Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia 9-21, 14-21 in just 34 minutes. The Indonesian dominated throughout with her superior court coverage and sharp attacking skills.

It was also a disappointing outing for the Indian doubles pairs. The men’s duo of Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Sai Pratheek K lost 13-21, 17-21 to the Chinese Taipei pair of Liu Kuang Heng and Yang Po Han in 34 minutes.

In women’s doubles, Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi were no match for Bulgaria’s seasoned Stoeva sisters, Gabriela and Stefani, who cruised to a 21-4, 21-11 win in just 24 minutes.

All eyes will now be on top-ranked Indian Lakshya Sen and Indian doubles ace Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who will begin their campaign on Wednesday.

Also read: Ayush Shetty wins US Open title, Tanvi Sharma finishes runner-up