Australian Open: Lakshya Sen to final, eyeing first title of the season | Badminton News – The Times of India

Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen secured a spot in the final of the Australian Open Super 500 men’s singles after defeating No. 6 Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei in a grueling three-match semi-final on Saturday. The 24-year-old Sen, 2021 World Championships bronze medalist, showed remarkable resilience to overcome an initial setback to win 17-21, 24-22, 21-16 in an 86-minute match. Sen will face Japan’s Yushi Tanaka or Chinese Taipei’s fifth seed Lin Chun-Yi in Sunday’s championship match. This is his second final appearance of the season, after the Hong Kong Open.In the opening match, Chen demonstrated superior precision and shot selection. The Taiwanese player built an 11-6 lead midway through the match and extended it to 14-7 through aggressive attacks in the backcourt. Despite Sen’s occasional resistance with powerful blows, Chen maintained control. A marathon 44-shot rally at 19-15 ended with Chen securing five game points and eventually claiming the first game. The second game started evenly, with both players trading points at 4-4. Chen initially took the lead 7-4, but Sen fought back to 9-9 and took an 11-9 lead with a skillful net shot. The game remained closely contested, with several lead changes. Chen earned three match points, but Sen’s determination prevented him from converting even one. The Indian player eventually secured the second game after saving all three match points. The deciding game showed the age difference between the players. Sen, at 24, seemed fresher than 35-year-old Chen, whose movement became increasingly difficult.Sen dominated the final match to take a commanding 6-1 lead. His improved court coverage and sharper net play helped extend the lead to 10-5 going into the break at 11-6. The Indian shuttler maintained his momentum and pushed the lead to 14-7. A service error from Chen gave Sen a 17-9 lead, and a precise cross-court smash gave him eight match points.Although Chen saved four match points, he ultimately hit the shuttle into the net, allowing Sen to complete his comeback victory. The victory demonstrates Sen’s growing status in international badminton and sets up an exciting final match on Sunday.The win also continues Sen’s strong form this season following his performance in the Hong Kong Open final. He will aim to secure his first title of the season in the Australian Open final.