Lakshya Sen of India (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Lakshya Sen produced a gritty performance to book his place in the All England Open Badminton Championships final, becoming only the second Indian shuttler to reach the title twice after defeating Canada’s Victor Lai in a tough semi-final on Saturday. The 24-year-old, who previously reached the final in 2022, fought off a determined opponent and painful blisters on his right thumb to seal a 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 victory in a match that lasted one hour and 37 minutes. Sen puts him in rare company alongside his mentor Prakash Padukone. The legendary Indian reached the finals in 1980 and 1981 and famously won the title in his first appearance in the championship game. Saturday’s semifinal turned into a test of stamina and endurance for both players. Sen and Lai were involved in several grueling rallies, some exceeding 50 runs, as neither competitor was willing to give up. The opening game remained very close until 17-16 in favor of Sen. The Indian then kicked into gear and won four consecutive points to take the first game. Lai responded strongly in the second game. The Canadian, who boasts of being the first player from Canada to win a medal at the BWF World Championships, raced to an 11-7 lead at the mid-game interval and maintained his dominance despite Sen tying it at 16-16 while battling blisters. Lai eventually forced the match to a decider. In the endgame, Sen’s experience began to show. Mixing patience with calculated attacking strikes, he built up a healthy 15-9 lead. Lai continued to fight and cut the deficit to 17-15, but Sen finished strongly and won four points in a row to seal his place in the final. In the championship match, Sen will face Lin Chun-Yi from Chinese Taipei. The left-handed shuttler, who recently won the India Open, advanced to the final after defeating second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 21-14, 18-21, 21-16 in the semi-final which lasted one hour and 18 minutes.
