Star Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen won his second successive three-game thriller to progress to the quarterfinals at the prestigious All England Open, the year’s second Super 1000 event on the BWF World Tour, at the Utilita Arena Birmingham on March 5. The 12th seeded player defeated Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long Angus after overcoming the disappointment of missing out on four match points in the second game to propel 21-19, 21-23, 21-10 in 81 minutes.
This was Lakshya’s second successive three-game win. In the first round, the 24-year-old stunned World No. 1 Shi Yuqi, the reigning world champion and the defending champion of the All England Open. Lakshya had prevailed 23-21, 19-21, 21-17 in the 78-minute long clash.
For Lakshya, who has been playing with reinvigorated form, this was his first win over Ng, though they faced each other for the first time since the Malaysia Masters 2023. His first-round win over Shi was his first since 2022, when the Indian youngster beat the Chinese player in the Asian Games team event final.
Lakshya, the 2022 edition All England Open runner-up, started the match on an aggressive note, staying ahead in the game. Ng, however, fought back to draw level at 19-19 after winning three points in a row. Lakshya, who had been punished in the past in clutch situations for his inability to close out matches, did not wilt under pressure, nor did he rush to finish off the game. Instead, he looked for opportunities by staying in the rally and forced NG to commit errors.
Unshaken and unrattled
In the second game, Lakshya made a breezy start, claiming a comfortable 11-4 lead at the interval. Ng, however, was not done yet. Taking the Indian by surprise, he pulled off a turnaround by saving three match points in a row while trailing 17-20. He then saved another at 20-21 before winning the game 23-21 and forcing the decider.
Lakshya, who was familiar with encountering heartbreaks after opening a match with a lead, showed his mental fortitude. He was not shaken by Ng’s comeback, nor did he show any sign of nerves. Lakshya, who worked on his finishing before landing in Birmingham, kept the shuttle flat while covering the baseline with his relentless defence.
His improved foot movement and ability to maintain vigil at the net forced Ng to concede the midcourt. It allowed Lakshya, deploying fast and criss-crossing exchanges, to pound the Hong Kong player on either side of his court. Lakshya went 20-9 up in the game, putting himself in a comfortable position. It was too big a gap for NG to bridge, and Lakshya, the semifinalist at the 2024 All England Open, sealed the game 21-10 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Lakshya is now likely to face China’s World No. 6 Li Shi Feng, who is scheduled to play Nhat Nguyen of Ireland in the pre-quarterfinals.