India made a strong start in the Thomas Cup quarterfinals as Lakshya Sen produced a remarkable comeback to hand his side a 1-0 lead over Chinese Taipei. Facing World No. 6 Chou Tien Chen, the Indian shuttler displayed resilience and composure to secure a hard-fought win in the opening singles.
The match, lasting one hour and 28 minutes, ended 18-21, 22-20, 21-17 in Lakshya’s favor, marking one of his most determined performances in recent competitions.
Comeback after early setback
Sen found himself under pressure early, with Chou using his experience to claim the opening game despite trailing at one stage. The contest quickly evolved into a high-intensity battle, with both players engaging in long rallies and tactical exchanges.
In the second game, Sen trailed 13-17 before mounting a comeback. He leveled the score with a string of crucial points and held his nerve under pressure, saving two match points to force a decider.
Decider sealed with composure
The momentum shifted in Lakshya Sen’s favor in the final game as he capitalized on signs of fatigue from Chou. Establishing an 11-7 lead at the interval, the Indian maintained control and closed out the match with calculated precision.
The victory also balanced their head-to-head record, highlighting the closely contested rivalry between the two players.
India eye strong finish in remaining ties
With the early lead secured, India will look to build momentum in the upcoming matches. The doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are set to face Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin in the next tie.
Further matches will see Ayush Shetty take on Lin Chun-Yi, while the duo of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun will face Liu Kuang Heng and Yang Po-Hsuan. Kidambi Srikanth is also scheduled to compete against Chi Yu Jen.
India will aim to capitalize on the early advantage and push for a semifinal berth.