New Delhi, March 13 Lakshya Sen delivered a clinical performance to storm into 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.
In women's singles, Malvika Bansod’s campaign came to an end with a straight-game loss to two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. The world No. 3 barely broke a sweat as she cruised past Malvika 21-16, 21-13 in just 33 minutes, extending her head-to-head record against the Indian to 4-0.
Malvika, who had shown promise with her performances in recent months, found it difficult to match Yamaguchi’s pace and precision. Right from the start, the Japanese star controlled the rallies, forcing the Indian into making unforced errors. Malvika struggled with her shot placements, often hitting wide or into the net, allowing Yamaguchi to take an early lead.
Despite a brief fightback where she stayed within touching distance at 13-15 in the opening game, Malvika was unable to sustain the pressure. Yamaguchi’s deft drop shots and well-placed smashes helped her seal the first game comfortably.
The second game saw a similar pattern. Although Malvika fought back to level the scores at 5-5 and later at 8-8, her inconsistency returned. Yamaguchi took full advantage, surging ahead at the mid-game interval and leaving Malvika with little room for a comeback. With eight match points in hand, Yamaguchi wrapped up the contest with a powerful smash, bringing an end to India’s women’s singles challenge at the tournament.
Earlier, India’s top-ranked men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, continued their strong run in the competition, advancing to the second round with a commanding victory over Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard. The world No. 1 duo took just 35 minutes to register a straight-game win, reinforcing their credentials as one of the favorites for the title.
The duo, seeded seventh, will next take on China’s Hao Nan Xie and Wei Han Zeng in the round of 16 on Thursday. World No. 9 Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who reached back-to-back semifinals at this event, will meet the eighth-seeded Korean pair of Hye Jeong Kim and Hee Yong Kong.
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