Lakshya Sen. (Credit: Twitter)
Lakshya Sen put up a valiant fight against the world number 9 but lost in the semifinal to Jonatan Christie who prevailed 21-15, 13-21, 21-16
Lakshya Sen crashed out of Japan Open 2023 semifinal after a hard-fought battle against Jonatan Christie in a match that lasted for 68 minutes. Sen dropped the first set before making a comeback to force a decider however, the Indonesian shuttler had too much in the tank as he prevailed 21-15, 13-21, 21-16.
Ranked 9th in the men’s singles roster, Christie was level at 1-1 in the head-to-head with his Indian counterpart however he advanced into the summit clash awaiting his opponent which would be decided later in the day with Viktor Axelsen and Kodai Nairoka set to clash in the other semifinal.
Sen, 21, had led his opponent 11-9 in the mid-game interval during the first set but Jonatan made a roaring comeback to take the first game 21-15.
In the second set, Sen won a consecutive 6 points forcing the game into a decider as he prevailed 21-13 in the second set.
Christie however was too powerful for Sen in the final set despite the fact that the Indian shuttler had his moments.
Sen’s defeat marked the end of India’s challenge at the Japan Open.
The number 13 ranked Sen had defeated fellow Indian shuttler Priyanshu Rajawat in the opening round challenge before he overcame Kanta Tsuneyama in straight sets.
In the quarter-final, Sen ousted Koki Watanabe in straight sets to march into the final four but the Almora-born shuttler was the second best in the contest.
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