Lakshya Sen delivered a clinical performance to enter the quarterfinals of the All-England Open Badminton Championships, securing a dominant straight-game win over Indonesia’s Jonathan Christie (21-13, 21-10) in Birmingham on Thursday. The Indian shuttler, known for his swift footwork and precise shot-making, dismantled the world No. 4 in just 36 minutes, keeping India’s hopes alive in the prestigious tournament. Sen, who reached the All-England final in 2022, looked in complete control from the start, using his aggressive play and sharp net game to unsettle Christie. The 22-year-old Indian dictated the pace of the match, taking an early lead and maintaining his advantage throughout.
Christie, struggling to find his rhythm, failed to counter Sen’s relentless attacking approach, allowing the Indian to close out the match with ease.
India’s women’s singles campaign in the All England Championships ended with Malvika Bansod losing in straight games against two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the pre-quarterfinals here on Thursday. World no. 3 Yamaguchi hardly broke a sweat to get the better of world no.28 Malvika 21-16 21-13 in a contest that lasted just 33 minutes. Yamaguchi has now extended her head-to-head record against Malvika to 4-0. Earlier on Wednesday, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu crashed out of the women’s singles event.
Against Yamaguchi, Malvika struggled to adjust to the conditions, repeatedly hitting wide, long, and into the net to fall behind early.
Despite a few unforced errors of her own, Yamaguchi seized the advantage at the mid-game interval with a deft drop shot followed by an accurate placement.
The Indian shuttler managed to stay within striking distance till 13-15, but Yamaguchi soon surged ahead, earning a slew of game points before sealing the opening game as Malvika sent another shot wide.
The Japanese started the second game strongly, taking a 3-1 lead but Malvika fought back to level scores at 5-5 and later 8-8. However, her inconsistency returned, allowing Yamaguchi to go into the interval with a comfortable lead.
There was little resistance from Malvika after the change of ends, as Yamaguchi raced ahead, earning eight match points. She closed out the contest with a smash on her second opportunity.
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