Lakshya Sen Stuns Chou Tien Chen to Reach Australian Open Final

Lakshya Sen's Remarkable Comeback

Sydney: Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen triumphed over Chou Tien Chen from Chinese Taipei in a gripping semifinal match at the Australian Open Super 500, held at Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday.

In a thrilling contest lasting one hour and 26 minutes, Sen staged a remarkable comeback after losing the first game, ultimately winning with scores of 17-21, 24-22, and 21-16.

Facing pressure early on, Sen fell behind as Chen surged to a 4-0 lead and maintained an 11-6 advantage at the break. Despite his efforts, Sen lost the first game 21-17.

The second game was fiercely contested, with both players exchanging leads. However, Sen showcased his skill in a tense moment, scoring two crucial points at 22-22 to clinch the game.

In the decisive third game, Sen quickly took charge, leading 11-6 at the mid-game break. He extended his lead to 14-7, and a service error from Chen allowed Sen to widen the gap to 17-9. Although Chen saved four match points, he ultimately faltered, hitting a shot into the net, which secured Sen's victory.

Sen remains the only Indian competitor left in the tournament after defeating Ayush Shetty in straight games to reach the semifinals on Friday.

In men's doubles, the top-seeded pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarterfinals with a solid win over Su Ching Heng and Wu Guan Xun from Chinese Taipei but were eliminated by fifth seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, losing 19-21, 15-21.

Earlier, HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth faced early exits in the men's singles on Thursday.