India’s Lakshya Sen bowed out in the semi-finals of the King Cup International Open.© YEARS
India’s Lakshya Sen bowed out in the semi-finals of the inaugural King Cup International Badminton Open, suffering a straight defeat to reigning world junior champion Hu Zhe’an of China in the men’s singles on Saturday. The 23-year-old from Almora fought hard but could not overcome the relentless Hu, losing 19-21, 19-21 in a thrilling match. The match saw the two shuttlers engage in a close battle, with little separating them throughout. Hu took a slight one-point advantage into the break after Lakshya’s backhand went into the net.
Hu, 18, who made his international debut in 2022, continued to persevere and won the opening game when Lakshya struck wide.
The second game followed a similar pattern, with the score tied at 6-6 before Hu moved to 12-10. Lakshya managed to fight back, taking a three-point lead at 19-16, but Hu demonstrated his offensive prowess with powerful smashes and delicate drops, ultimately sealing the victory.
Lakshya, who had already won the Syed Modi International Super 300 title this month, beat Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long in the quarter-finals of the three-day event, which offers a purse of around $152,000. The tournament was kicked off by two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China.
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