Daijiworld Media Network - Birmingham

Birmingham, Mar 5: India’s Lakshya Sen produced a strong comeback performance to defeat Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long Angus and advance to the quarterfinals of the All England Open badminton tournament on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Indian shuttler registered a 21-19, 21-23, 21-10 victory in a match that lasted one hour and 21 minutes. The win also marked Sen’s first triumph over NG in four meetings, with their previous encounter dating back to the Malaysia Masters 2023.

Sen, who had earlier stunned top seed and defending champion Shi Yu Qi in the opening round, started aggressively and maintained a slight lead throughout the first game. NG managed to level the score at 19-19 after winning three consecutive points, but Sen held his nerve to claim the next two points and take the opening game.

The second game saw Sen surge to an 11-4 lead, appearing on course for a straight-game victory. However, the experienced Hong Kong player fought back, saving three match points at 17-20 and another at 20-21 to snatch the game 23-21 and force a decider.

Reflecting on the match, Sen credited his opponent’s resilience. “It was a very solid game in both games. Credit to him for making a strong comeback in the second game. I didn’t play freely towards the end and gave him too many easy shots,” he said.

Determined not to let the match slip further, Sen dominated the deciding game with powerful cross-court smashes and tight control. Although NG saved one match point at 20-9, the large deficit proved too difficult to overcome, allowing the Indian to seal the victory comfortably.

Sen, the only Indian remaining in the singles draw and the All England Open 2022 finalist, will next face the winner of the match between China’s sixth seed Li Shi Feng and Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen in the quarterfinals.