Daijiworld Media Network - Birmingham

Birmingham, Mar 9: Lakshya Sen produced a remarkable display of grit and determination to reach the final of the All England Open Badminton Championships after a gruelling 97-minute battle against Victor Lai.

In an unusual sight during a badminton match, Lakshya lay flat on his back near the bench during the final change of ends in the deciding game as coach Yoo Yong Sung and physio Satej massaged his cramping legs. Despite the physical strain, the Indian shuttler pushed through the pain to secure victory and book his place in the prestigious final for the second time.

At one stage after play resumed, Lakshya was shown a yellow card for delay and the chair umpire warned him to continue playing or retire. However, the Indian responded by adopting a more aggressive strategy, attacking early in rallies and shortening exchanges to conserve energy.

“Starting of the third set, I could feel a bit of cramps in the legs and I didn’t know if I could go all the way,” Lakshya said after the match. “I was just trying to fight every point… telling myself just one more point and not thinking too much ahead.”

He added that increasing the pace of rallies proved decisive. “The plan was to finish rallies in the first few shots and not let them go too long because he was playing very steadily. Both of us were really tired, but in the end it was important that I increased the pace a little bit.”

Lai, who has been making a strong impression on the international circuit for Canada, admitted disappointment but praised Lakshya’s resilience.

“He was visibly cramping a little bit, but kudos to him. Even though he was tired, he pushed on and held his ground. He played really smart in the third set,” Lai said, adding that he too was physically exhausted by the end of the match.

Indian star PV Sindhu, who live-tweeted the match, said the contest reminded her of the famous clash with Nozomi Okuhara at the 2017 BWF World Championships.

“To win when your legs are cramping is one of the most difficult things in sport, and to see him do that today was phenomenal,” Sindhu wrote.

Lakshya will now face Lin Chun Yi in the final. The left-handed shuttler from Chinese Taipei has won all four of their previous encounters.

The Indian will be hoping for quick recovery as he looks to end a 25-year wait for an Indian title at the prestigious All England tournament.