After suffering four successive defeats against the Chinese superstar, Lakshya Sen finally got the better of Yuqi, defeating him 23-21, 19-21, 21-17 in the opening round of badminton’s most prestigious tournament.
The match lasted one hour and 18 minutes, with momentum often shifting in favor of each of the two players.
With the score tied at 11-11 in the first set, Sen remained aggressive, controlling the duels, and after winning six successive points he eventually won the set, converting his first match point at 20-19 to clinch the opener.
The Chinese World No.1 raced to a 4-2 lead in the second as he gradually seemed to settle into his stylish stride and eventually also sealed the game 21-19 to force the game into a third set.
Lakshya Sen, however, didn't allow the disappointment of losing the second set dismantle his game. At 13-11, he upped the pace and never looked back as he created the decisive gap to close out the match 21-17.