Lakshya Sen fights back to beat Ng Ka Long Angus to reach the quarter-finals of All England badminton | Badminton News – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Lakshya Sen produced a determined performance to defeat Ng Ka Long Angus to advance to the quarter-finals of the All England Open Badminton Championships on Thursday.The world number 12 Indian shuttler won a tough round of 16 21-19, 21-23, 21-10 after an intense three-match battle full of long rallies and physical exchanges. Lakshya, who finished second in the 2022 edition of the tournament, showed strong mental resilience to defeat his opponent, against whom he had previously lost all three matches.

“It was a very solid match. I think both the sets and the credit go to him. He made a solid comeback in the second set. I think towards the end of the second set I just didn’t play freely and gave too many easy shots to kill him,” Lakshya said.The match started early in the opener with Lakshya trailing, but he gradually found his rhythm. Using sharp smashes and precise placement, he recovered from 4-6 down to build a solid lead before sealing the first game after a thrilling finish.Lakshya seemed to be in control in the second game and even built a comfortable lead at the halfway point. However, Ng Ka Long made a late comeback and saved several match points to force the match into a decisive third game.“But yeah, I think in the third set I was prepared again to go all out and be happy with the way I played in the third set,” he added.“Tactically, I played the right game both sets and yeah, it’s just the last few points that I didn’t stick to the plan, I just gave too many easy mistakes. But again, it was important to just switch off, forget the second set, forget the first set and just play the third set with the same game plan that worked.”In the decider, Lakshya quickly regained control, taking an early lead and dominating with strong defense and quick attacking shots. His opponent struggled to keep up as Lakshya took a deep lead and finished the match comfortably.“I feel quite good on the pitch especially in the last two games and yes, now it’s time to recover again. Another tough match tomorrow, so just have 24 hours and then just go for it,” he added.