Lakshya Sen creates history with second All England final appearance | Badminton News – The Times of India

Lakshya Sen delivered a gritty performance to book his place in the final of the All England Open Badminton Championships. He became only the second Indian shuttler to reach the title challenge twice after beating Canada’s Victor Lai in a demanding semi-final on Saturday.The 24-year-old, who had previously reached the final in 2022, battled both a determined opponent and painful blisters on his right toe to seal a 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 victory in a match that lasted one hour and 37 minutes.

His achievement puts Sen in rare company alongside his mentor Prakash Padukone. The legendary Indian had reached the final in 1980 and 1981 and famously won the title in his first appearance in the championship match.Saturday’s semi-final was a test of endurance and resilience for both players. Sen and Lai were involved in several grueling rallies, some lasting longer than 50 shots, as neither competitor was willing to give ground.The opening match remained exciting until the score was 17-16 in Sen’s favor. The Indian then switched gears and racked up four straight points to win the first game.Lai responded strongly in the second game. The Canadian, who has the distinction of being the first player from Canada to win a medal at the BWF World Championships, advanced 11-7 midway through the match and maintained his lead despite Sen being tied at 16-16 while dealing with blisters. Lai eventually forced the match into a decider.In the final game, Sen’s experience started to show. Combining patience with calculated attacking shots, he built a healthy 15-9 lead. Lai continued to fight back and reduced the deficit to 17-15, but Sen finished strongly to claim four points in a row to secure his place in the final.In the championship match, Sen will face Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei. The left-handed shuttler, who recently won the India Open, advanced to the final after beating Thailand’s second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-14, 18-21, 21-16 in a semi-final that lasted one hour and 18 minutes.