New Delhi: Lakshya Sen will look to cap off his inspired All England Open campaign with the title after a painful and gruelling route to the final.
Sen battled cramps and played through the pain of foot blisters to notch up a 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 win over Canada’s Victor Lai in an hour and 37 minutes in the last four stage.
It was one his finest victories that put him in the final of the prestigious tournament for the second time, having been beaten in the 2022 edition.
Only Prakash Padukone (1980) and Pullela Gopichand (2001) have won the All England title, with Prakash Nath (1947) and Saina Nehwal (2015) finishing runner-ups.
The 24-year old Sen faces World No. 11 Lin Chun-yi of Chinese Taipei in the title clash on Sunday.
Rich praise
“Lakshya, you have made us all incredibly proud. For me, the determination and resilience you showed today were truly unmatched. It was a physically draining contest of the highest intensity, yet you fought every point with remarkable courage,” Sen’s former mentor and national coach Vimal Kumar told PTI.
“To play through the match with a painful blister on your foot, without even being able to get treatment during the break, and still push yourself despite the cramps-that speaks volumes about your fighting spirit.
“I have rarely seen such an incredible display of courage, resilience, and heart on a badminton court. It’s badminton at its toughest, and Lakshya at his bravest. It’s a performance to remember.”
Against 2025 World Championships bronze medallist Lai, Sen not only remained mentally unshakeable but backed it up with strokeplay enabling to remain compact in defence and pounce in attack when given an opportunity.
“You employed the right tactics against Victor Lai, controlling the pace of the match and refusing to give him the fast rhythm he thrives on. In the opening game, you kept him from settling into any real flow and dictated the terms of the rallies.
“The second game was a battle of sheer endurance, with long, punishing rallies. To fight your way back to 16-16 showed tremendous grit and character. The service fault call at that crucial moment was unfortunate and broke the momentum you had worked so hard to build,” he said.