Daijiworld Media Network - Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Sep 14: Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen settled for the runner-up spot at the Hong Kong Open after falling to China’s Li Shifeng 15-21, 12-21 in the men’s singles final on Sunday.

The tournament saw another near miss for India as the men’s doubles duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also finished second, losing to China’s Olympic silver medallists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in the final.

Sen started the final strongly, with an intense opening phase where both players exchanged points evenly. He quickly amassed nine points early in the first game, but once Li found his rhythm, the Chinese shuttler unleashed sharp smashes and precise placements to pull ahead comfortably, taking the first game decisively.

In the second game, Sen launched an aggressive start and grabbed the early lead. However, a few crucial mistimed lift shots allowed Li to level at 4-4. From then on, Li dominated by capitalizing on Sen’s errors and applying relentless pressure with clever angles.

While Sen showed promise in longer rallies, Li’s tactic of finishing points swiftly kept the Indian player on the back foot throughout. The match ended with Li sealing the win with a delicate crosscourt net shot, wrapping up the contest in straight games in just 45 minutes.

Though the loss is a setback for Sen in his quest for a maiden Super 500 title, his resilience and adaptability remained evident. On this occasion, it was Li’s superior execution and composure during critical moments that proved decisive.