Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Lakshya Sen produced a warrior-like effort in the men’s singles semifinal of the All England Open 2026, defeating Canada’s Victor Lai in three games in an hour and 37 minutes on Saturday, March 7. Lakshya beat Lai 21-15, 18-21, 21-16 despite battling severe cramps in the deciding game. The final game was a roller-coaster that kept the crowd at the Utilita Birmingham Arena on the edge of their seats.
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The match lasted 97 minutes and tested the energy levels and conviction of two young shuttlers. It began with a 52-shot rally, and even in the deciding game there were rallies of more than 40 shots.
Lakshya, who finished runner-up to Viktor Axelsen in his previous appearance in the final of the prestigious tournament in 2022, will now aim to become only the third Indian after Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand to win the historic Super 1000 title.
“Do you want to play or retire?” the chair umpire asked when Lakshya was leading after the break in the deciding game. The Indian shuttler needed assistance from the physio during the mid-game interval but was still struggling with cramps.
However, Lakshya had the lead in his favour. The adrenaline kicked in after he produced a sensational cross-court smash winner immediately after deciding to continue. He followed it up with a brilliant down-the-line winner.
Lai tried his best to close the gap. Lakshya might have struggled had he surrendered the lead, but the Indian shuttler, the more experienced of the two, held his nerve and sealed the match with a flurry of points towards the end.
Lakshya punched the air in delight as his coach, Yoo Yong-sung, watched with pride after guiding him through the marathon contest.
Watching from back home, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu praised both Lakshya and Victor, saying the marathon battle reminded her of the 2017 World Championships final, where she lost to Nozomi Okuhara in a memorable battle of gladiators.
In the absence of PV Sindhu, who was unable to reach Birmingham after being stranded in Dubai, and following the early exit of the men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, Lakshya kept India’s hopes alive in Birmingham.
After stunning World No. 1 Shi Yuqi in the opening round and defeating World No. 6 Li Shifeng, Lakshya entered the semifinal against Victor Lai — one of badminton’s rising stars — with plenty of confidence. He converted that confidence into a strong start, taking the opening game 21-15 in less than 30 minutes.
For Lai, it was a true test of character. He responded with a sensational second game, displaying defensive skills that left many in awe. Lakshya began to tire towards the end of the second game as Lai kept retrieving almost everything thrown at him.
Lakshya recovered from a difficult position to level the score at 16-16, but he eventually conceded the game to the young Canadian, whose defensive play was among the best seen in the sport.
The crowd was treated to another game of this gladiatorial battle. Lai started the decider strongly, racing to a 4-2 lead. However, Lakshya stayed calm and ensured his opponent did not run away with the game. He strung together a series of points to take an 11-7 lead before battling cramps and moving one step closer to history.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
