Lakshya Sen Stuns Defending Champion Shi Yuqi at All England Open 2026

Lakshya Sen's Remarkable Victory

Birmingham [UK], March 3: In a thrilling start to the All England Open 2026, India's Lakshya Sen delivered a shocking upset by defeating top seed and reigning champion Shi Yuqi from China in the men's singles first round on Tuesday.

Sen, who was the runner-up in this prestigious badminton event in 2022, triumphed over the current world champion with scores of 23-21, 19-21, 21-17, completing the match in one hour and 18 minutes, according to a statement from the Badminton Association of India (BAI).

Also moving forward to the next round were India's mixed doubles duo, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, who secured their spot by defeating the Malaysian pair of Hoo Peng Ron and Cheng Su Yin with scores of 21-17, 21-19.

However, the spotlight was firmly on Sen. The 24-year-old, who had previously only beaten Shi during the Asian Games team championships, maintained pressure on his seasoned opponent with a bold strategy. He surged ahead to a 17-10 lead in the first game, but Shi rallied to narrow the gap to 18-17. Sen managed to earn three game points, but Shi saved them all before Sen ultimately clinched the game.

In the second game, Shi took the offensive, forcing Sen to recover from a 13-19 deficit. Despite his efforts, Sen could not avoid a third game.

During the final game, Sen showcased excellent net control and dominated the exchanges, establishing a 16-11 lead before securing four match points. Although Shi saved one, his subsequent lift went long, sealing the victory for Sen.

On a less fortunate note, Malvika Bansod's journey in the tournament concluded with a defeat against third seed Chen Yu Fei of China, with scores of 21-11, 21-6.