Birmingham: India’s Lakshya Sen produced one of the biggest upsets of the opening round at the prestigious All England Open, knocking out world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yu Qi in a gripping three-game encounter.
The 24-year-old Indian battled past the Chinese top seed 23-21, 19-21, 21-17 in a pulsating 78-minute contest that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. It was only Lakshya’s second career win over Shi, underlining the magnitude of the result.
Lakshya came out with an aggressive game plan in the opening game, racing to a commanding 17-10 lead. However, Shi mounted a spirited comeback to narrow the gap to 18-17. Despite squandering three game points — and seeing Shi save another — Lakshya held his nerve to clinch the opener 23-21.
The momentum shifted in the second game as Shi took control, opening up a 19-13 advantage. Lakshya attempted a late surge but couldn’t prevent the match from heading into a decider after losing 19-21.
In the final game, Lakshya displayed remarkable composure and tactical discipline. Controlling the net exchanges and dominating the flat rallies, he surged ahead 16-11 and soon earned four match points. Although Shi saved one, a long lift from the Chinese star sealed a memorable victory for the Indian shuttler.
Mixed Doubles Pair Advances
India also had reason to celebrate in mixed doubles, with Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto advancing to the second round. The duo defeated Malaysia’s Hoo Peng Ron and Cheng Su Yin 21-17, 21-19 in straight games.
Malvika Bows Out
However, it was disappointment for India in women’s singles as Malvika Bansod exited the tournament after a 21-11, 21-6 loss to third seed Chen Yufei of China.
Despite the mixed results, the day clearly belonged to Lakshya Sen, whose statement win over the world No. 1 has reignited India’s hopes at one of badminton’s most prestigious tournaments.
Source: ESPN
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