Paris [France], August 2 : India's rising shuttler, Lakshya Sen, scripted history by booking his spot in the semi-final of the men's singles event at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Friday.
Lakshya became the first Indian shuttler to reach the semi-final stage in the men's singles event following his 19-21, 21-15, 21-12 win over Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen.
It was an exhilarating clash from the first point to the final point of the quarter-finals that went right down to the wire. The 22-year-old will now play for a medal and will be keen to add to India's medal tally in the ongoing Olympics.
The first set was a neck-and-neck battle, creating an electrifying atmosphere throughout the arena. The intensity of the smashes from Chou and Lakshya's elegant defensive shots was a delight for the fans.
The first set began on a back-and-forth note. Chou took a couple of points, and Sen fought back, picking up two consecutive points to restore parity at 2-2.
Three consecutive powerful smashes from Chou allowed him to enjoy a three-point buffer over the Indian shuttler.
The lengthy rallies continued, and Lakshya started to take control in the opening set. With an exquisite crosscourt smash, Lakshya once again leveled the score at 5-5.
Lakshya continued to ride high on the momentum and went ahead for the first time in the first set, 6-5. Chou quickly bounced back to restore parity after his drop shot glanced off the net, which Lakshya was unable to return.
For the next point, a 51-stroke rally kept the fans glued to the screen. In the end, Lakshya emerged victorious and once again leveled the score at 7-7.
Chou took back-to-back points, and Lakshya responded with an excellent smash to level the game at 9-9.
From that point, Chou upped the ante and took five consecutive points to go ahead in the game. By claiming four consecutive points, Lakshya fought back to keep the first set alive at 15-15.
The Indian shuttler took three consecutive points to take a step closer to making history. But Chou's relentless attacking play helped him overtake Lakshya and seal the first set with a 19-21 win.
After a gripping opening set, Lakshya fought hard in the second set and lured Chou into making errors. He raced to a 4-1 lead, but Chou asserted dominance with his pinpoint smashes.
Chou went ahead with a two-point lead at 7-9. Lakshya didn't let his shoulders drop and replied by showcasing amazing levels of athleticism.
After trailing briefly, Lakshya went ahead and didn't leave room for Chou to make a comeback. He capped off an impressive display by sealing the second set with a 21-15 win.
In the decider, once again, Chou exercised early dominance, but Lakshya dug deep and overcame the challenge to become the first Indian male shuttler to reach the semi-finals of the men's singles event at the Olympics.
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