Summary of this article
Lakshya Sen beat Li Shifeng in straight games to reach All England Open semis
Sen won by 21-13 and 21-16
He will await for his final four opponent after the last quarter-final tonight
Indian star shuttler Lakshya Sen defeated China's Li Shifeng in straight games to enter his 3rd semi-final of the All England Open tournament in Birmingham. Sen defeated Shifeng by 21-13 and 21-16 in dominant fashion.
Right from the start of the match, Lakshya Sen appeared to be on a different level as compared to Li Shifeng, who struggled for rhythm throughout the match.
It was very evident that Shifeng was not match fit for a competition of this magnitude and Lakshya Sen took full advantage of it. He raced to an early 9-4 lead, never allowing the former champion to settle into a rhythm.
Most of Shifeng's attempted smashes were either dealt with superb precision by Sen or they just crashed into the net.
The Indian supporters in the background kept created a sensational atmosphere and that somehow pushed Lakshya Sen even further to claim the opening game by 21-13.
In the 2nd game, Li Shifeng learned from his mistakes but his efforts were eventually not enough to seal victory. While Shifeng attempted to initiate longer rallies in the second game to tire the Indian, Sen’s defense remained impenetrable.
Shifeng pushed as hard as he could but was only able to manage 16 points. The breaking point came in the final sequence of the match, when the Chinese shuttler effectively handed the victory to Sen himself.
A wild and raucous swing from the Chinese shuttler, a former champion with numerous accolades to his name, sent the shuttle sailing hopelessly beyond the baseline.
That final error handed an emphatic victory to his Indian counterpart, who raised his arms in celebration. With this win, Sen breaks the 7-7 head-to-head deadlock and moves one step closer to ending India’s 25-year title drought in Birmingham.
Lakshya Sen will face either of Lin Chun Yi, Kunlavut Vitidsarn or Koki Watanbe/Victor Lai in the semis.
