In a remarkable display of mental fortitude, India's
Lakshya Sen
secured a stunning victory over former champion Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, advancing to the men's singles semifinals of the
All England Championships
.
Sen, aged 22, showed resilience throughout the match, employing varied attacking strategies and persevering against Lee to emerge victorious 20-22, 21-16, 21-19 in a captivating quarterfinal that extended for 71 minutes on Friday.
This triumph comes after Sen's runner-up finish in the 2022 edition of the tournament.
"It was a really good match and happy to be on winning side. It was all about keeping the nerve. I knew he has the quality to comeback and give a tough fight," Sen said.
"Even when I was 18-14 up, I knew if I play a little bit lose, he will grab the opportunity. For me, it was important to dictate the pace. In the end, it was about not giving him an open chance to hit and keep the shuttle down."
Ranked 18th in the world and the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, Sen will face off against Indonesia's 9th-ranked Jonatan Christie in the semifinals.
Sen endured four three-game matches last week at the French Open, followed by two consecutive lengthy matches over the past couple of days. However, despite this demanding schedule, he managed to maintain a high level of performance.
"It (physically) was really good. The way I played last week and now too. Now it is all about recovering as there is not much time. My support team will have to be really on their toes to get me up for next match," Sen said.
During their intense battle, both the players engaged in excruciating rallies, yet Sen managed to seize an 8-3 lead as Lee committed numerous errors at the net.
As the match progressed, Sen extended his lead to 12-7. But Lee came back to level the score at 12-12. The see-saw opening game was at an even keel at 20-20, but Lee ultimately claimed it.
In the second game, Sen maintained a slight advantage, leading 11-9 at the mid-game interval. He then surged ahead, securing seven consecutive points to reignite his challenge.
Entering the decisive game, Sen maintained a fast pace, leading 7-5 and 11-8 at the break. Despite Lee's attempt to narrow the gap with four successive points from 15-19, Sen retained control, securing the two crucial points needed to clinch his fourth victory over the Malaysian.
In a triumphant moment as the match concluded, Lee shot one long, which gave Sen the win.
(With PTI inputs)
English (US) ·