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Last night, the defending champion of the SaarLorLux Open, Lakshya Sen, along with fellow shuttlers Ajay Jayaram and Subhankar Dey, withdrew from the 2020 edition of the tournament.
Lakshya's father, DK Sen, had tested positive for COVID-19 and the three Indian badminton stars had come in contact with him recently. They have isolated themselves, following safety protocols.
BWF confirmed their withdrawal from the SaarLorLux Open 2020 and stated that none of the players had contracted the virus.
The quarantined players will follow all the BWF tournament health protocols. Besides, the local health authorities will also guide them during their isolation phase. All three players are in good health.
The opponents of Ajay Jayaram, Lakshya Sen, and Subhankar Dey get walkover wins
Ajay Jayaram, Lakshya Sen, and Subhankar Dey were scheduled to play in the pre-quarterfinals of the SaarLorLux Open 2020.
Jayaram had won his first-round match against Maxime Moreels in straight games. Mark Caljouw was his opponent in the second round, but the Dutch player gained a walkover.
Meanwhile, Subhankar Dey and Lakshya Sen had received a bye in the opening round. Their opponents, Brian Yang, and Howard Shu have progressed without playing the second-round match.
With this unfortunate development, the Indian challenge at the SaarLorLux Open 2020 in Germany has almost come to a standstill. However, Indian player, Malvika Bansod has been featured in the women's draw. The 19-year-old faced Estonian player Kristin Kuuba in the first draw, but could not win a single game in that match.
The Indian badminton fans are hoping that Ajay Jayaram, Subhankar Dey, and Lakshya Sen's isolation period ends soon and the trio come out stronger.
The Macau Open 2020 was supposed to begin last Tuesday. However, BWF canceled the event due to the complications due to the pandemic.
