India’s Lakshya Sen has registered a place in the final of All England Open. Sen defeated Victor Lai 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 in a 97-minute marathon. Lakshya Sen has been on a roll in this tournament, having defeated world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi in the opening round and then followed up with another win against Hong Kong’s NG Ka Long Angus in the Round of 16. He has now moved into the finals.
India’s top shuttler Lakshya Sen, who had already defeated World No.1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi in the first round, started the match with confidence. However, Victor Lai also played strongly and became the first Canadian man to reach the semifinals of the All England Open, the world’s oldest badminton tournament.
The match was very close from the beginning. The score kept changing, with both players tied several times at 1–1, 6–6, 7–7 and 8–8. At the mid-game interval, Sen had a narrow lead of 11–10. When the score reached 13–13, Sen increased the pressure with powerful smashes. He moved ahead to 20–16 and won the first game 21–16.
Lakshya Sen battling blisters and cramps
The second game brought new challenges. Sen was trailing 4–8 and was clearly struggling with injuries. Even though he slowed down, he kept fighting. Victor continued to attack and eventually won the game 21–18, pushing the match into a deciding third game.
The third game showed Sen’s strong determination. When the score was tied at 4–4, the players had a long rally of 86 shots. The point ended when Victor made a foul and Sen won the rally.
From 7–5, Sen extended his lead to 11–7 at the interval. He was dealing with cramps and even received a yellow card, but he continued attacking. Hitting powerful shots, he moved ahead to 16–12. Victor tried to reduce the gap, but Sen stayed in control and won the game 21–15, even while cramping in one leg.
With this victory, Lakshya Sen has reached his second All England Open final. He is now one win away from joining the only two Indian men who have won the title: Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand.
In the final, Sen will face Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi.
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