Lakshya Sen’s Special Connection with the All England Open Yields Quarter-Final Berth
Indian badminton’s 23-year-old sensation, Lakshya Sen, has once again made it a habit to perform well at the All England Open. This time, he defeated world number two, Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, 21-13, 21-10, to secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the $1.45 million tournament. The victory marks a significant turnaround in his fortunes, considering he had been struggling with poor form throughout the year, exiting all competitions he participated in, in the early rounds.
Sen’s success at the All England Open is not a new phenomenon. In 2022, he reached the final of the world’s oldest badminton tournament, beating higher-ranked opponents in the process. Last year, he was all but out of the race to qualify for the Paris Olympics, but a semi-final appearance in Birmingham secured his spot. This year, he had to rely on his special connection with the All England Open to revive his flagging form.
Sen, who has been under the guidance of his mentor and former champion, Prakash Padukone, credited his familiarity with the tournament for his motivation to perform well. “The way I approach this tournament, I feel I have that extra motivation to do well here every time I come here,” he explained after the match. “Two years back, even last year, I was close to the finals. I really focus on doing well here.”
In his quarter-final match, Sen will face another All England Open champion, world number 15, Li Shifeng of China. Li has a 7-4 head-to-head record against Sen, but the Indian will be eager to use his momentum to change that trend. Sen’s confidence was reflected in his gameplay, where he never allowed Christie to settle down, taking away chunks of points with his aggressive net play and lethal smashes.
Sen’s teammates, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, were not as fortunate, pulling out of their round two clash against Hao Nan Xie and Wei Han Zeng of China due to a former back injury to Shetty. Malvika Bansod’s run also came to an end in the second round of the women’s singles, losing to two-time former world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. India’s mixed doubles duo, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, also exited the tournament, falling to the fifth-seeded Chinese pair of Zhe Feng Yan and Xin Wei Ya.
Original Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/badminton/sen-ousts-defending-champ-to-reach-all-england-quarters-101741889429369.html
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Publish Date: 2025-03-13 23:45:00
