Lakshya Sen has advanced to the All England Open final after a hard-fought victory over Victor Lai. He faces Lin Chun-Yi next, aiming for a historic win.
Lakshya Sen Advances to the Final
Before today’s match, expectations were high for Lakshya Sen as he prepared to face Victor Lai in the semi-finals of the All England Open 2026. Having reached the semi-finals, Sen was looking to secure a spot in the final, a significant achievement in his career.
Sen’s match against Lai was a closely contested affair, ending with scores of 21-16, 18-21, and 21-15. This victory, which took 1 hour and 37 minutes, not only propelled him into the final but also marked his second appearance in this prestigious tournament’s final.
The immediate effect of this win is that Sen will now face Lin Chun-Yi, who has previously defeated him in all four of their encounters. This adds an extra layer of challenge for Sen as he aims to break this losing streak and secure a title that has eluded Indian men for 25 years.
Sen’s journey to the final has rekindled hopes among Indian fans for a men’s singles champion at the All England Open, a title last won by an Indian in 2001. Only two men, Prakash Padukone in 1980 and Pullela Gopichand in 2001, have achieved this feat, making Sen’s potential victory historically significant.
“I was just taking one point at a time and starting up the third set, I could feel a bit of cramps in the legs and I didn’t know if I could go all the way,” Sen remarked after his semi-final match, highlighting the physical and mental challenges he faced.
The final match is scheduled to begin at 5:20 PM IST and will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network, with live streaming available on the Jio Hotstar app and website. Fans eagerly await this showdown, hoping for a historic win.
As the match approaches, the stakes are high for Sen, who aims to become the third Indian to win the All England Open in men’s singles. The pressure is palpable, but so is the excitement surrounding this pivotal moment in his career.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding any last-minute changes to the match schedule or player conditions, but anticipation continues to build as the final draws near.
