Home
India's badminto star Lakshya Sen stunned the world by upsetting third-seeded and world no.4 Jonatan Christie 21-18, 21-12 to secure a spot in the men's singles round of 16 at the Paris Olympics 2024. Before this, Lakshya had won just one match against Jonatan Christie in their previous encounters. Christie held a dominant 4-1 head-to-head record against the rising Indian star going into this match. But Lakshya turned it all around and gunned down Christie to make it 4-2.
Lakshya Sen faced a must-win situation to secure his place in the next round. His initial victory over Kevin Cordon was rendered null and void after the Guatemalan's withdrawal due to injury.
Lakshya scripts a perfect comeback win over Jonatan Christie
Lakshya Sen faced a challenging start to the match, trailing Jonatan Christie 0-5 in the opening game. However, a determined comeback saw him level the score at 8-8 before taking a narrow lead of 11-9. Christie fought back valiantly to establish a 18-16 advantage, but Sen showcased his resilience, claiming five consecutive points to clinch the first game. The second game witnessed a more dominant performance from Lakshya Sen, as he surged ahead to an 11-6 lead. Maintaining his momentum, he comfortably closed out the match with a 21-12 scoreline.
A potential all-Indian clash awaits Lakshya Sen in the round of 16. Should H.S. Prannoy secure a victory in his final group stage match, the two Indian shuttlers will face off against each other in the knockout stage.
Lakshya Sen will face the winner of the Group K match between compatriot HS Prannoy and Vietnam's Le Duc Phat. With both Prannoy and Duc Phat tied on points, their match will be a decisive encounter similar to Sen's match against Christie.
Earlier today, PV Sindhu secured her spot in the Olympic quarterfinals by defeating Estonia's Kristin Kuuba in straight games, 21-5, 21-10. The two-time Olympic medalist dominated the match, finishing in a swift 33 minutes.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
ADVERTISEMENT
