Lakshya Sen reached his first final of the year at the Canada Open BWF Super-500 tournament, while PV Sindhu faced yet another setback against top players. Sen, an Indian shuttler, upset fourth-seeded Kenta Nishimoto of Japan in straight games 21-17, 21-14 to secure his spot in the final. This marks Sen’s first final appearance in 15 months, with his last appearance being in the All England tournament in March 2022.
In contrast, Sindhu struggled against Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the semi-finals. Yamaguchi, the top seed, defeated Sindhu in straight games 21-14, 21-15. After dominating the first game, Yamaguchi made a comeback from a 9-13 deficit in the second game to secure victory.
The focus of the day was on Lakshya Sen, who outperformed his higher-ranked opponent, Nishimoto. While Nishimoto initially took a 4-0 lead in the final, Sen quickly gained control over the game and displayed exemplary netplay. He caught up with Nishimoto at 8-8 and proceeded to score five consecutive points, widening the gap between them. Sen attributed his success to his near-perfect netplay and a solid tactical game.
Reflecting on his performance, Sen stated, It was a pretty bad start, I couldn’t control the shuttle well. The moment I got the rhythm at the net I got better. Near-perfect netplay was the key, and we were both trying to do that. Once he established control at the net, Sen dominated his opponent. He also showcased his powerful smashes, further adding to his advantage.
In the final, Sen will face reigning All England champion Li Shi Feng of China. Li defeated Kodai Naraoka of Japan in straight games 21-8, 21-11. This will be the second time Sen has appeared in the final of a BWF Super-500 event.
Interestingly, Sen holds a 4-2 career record against Li, having defeated him in the second round of the Thailand Open last month.
With this victory, Sen’s ranking in the world has significantly improved. He had faced some health issues in the past which led to a drop in his ranking from No. 6 to No. 25. However, his recent success indicates a strong comeback.
As Lakshya Sen prepares to face Li Shi Feng in the final, badminton fans eagerly await an exciting match between these talented shuttlers.
