India's star shuttler Lakshya Sen crashed out of Thailand Open after losing to Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semi-final. Sen lasted one hour and 15 minutes against Thailand's second seed. The 21-year-old started off well but lost the contest 21-13 17-21 13-21.
Lakshya on top in first game
Lakhsya looked aggressive at start and took a five-point lead to go into the break with 11-6. However, Kunlavut won four straight points to even the odds but could not keep it up. Lakshya kept the pressure and won the first game by a big margin.
Kunlavut fights back
The second game looked an evenly matched contest. The game witnessed long rallies and drop shots played with precision. Towards the end, Kunlavut took four points on the trot to win the second game.
Kunlavut tires out Lakshya
Kunlavut took the momentum into the decider taking a 5-2 lead in no time. The Indian shuttler made a comeback as he was tested by the Thailand's second seed. Towards the end Lakshya looked tired from the long rallies and Kunlavut took advantage of it to close out the game.
Lakshya’s slump
The youngster from Almora had qualified for the semi-final first time in the season. The closest he came to a top four finish was in Indonesia Masters where he crashed out of quarterfinals. The slump has also led to him dropping to 23 from career-high sixth place.
What’s next for Kunlavut?
Kunlavut will take on the winner of second semi-final between Hong Kong's eighth speed Cheuk Yiu Lee and France's Toma Junior Popov.
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