Lakshya Sen Advances to Quarterfinals at All England Open 2026

Birmingham, March 6: Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen secured his spot in the quarterfinals of the All England Open 2026 on Thursday. He achieved this by defeating Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long in the pre-quarterfinal match. Earlier, Lakshya caused a major upset by beating defending champion Shi Yuqi in the first round.

The 24-year-old Indian player triumphed over Long Angus in a match that lasted one hour and 21 minutes, with scores of 21-19, 21-23, and 21-10. This victory marked Lakshya’s first win against Angus, having lost to the Hong Kong player in their previous three encounters, including a defeat at the 2023 Malaysia Masters. The 2022 All England finalist started aggressively against his Hong Kong opponent, maintaining a lead throughout the first game. Although Long managed to equalize the score at 19-19 by winning three consecutive points, Lakshya clinched the game by winning the next two points.

At one point, it seemed Lakshya would easily win the second game as he led 11-4. However, Angus made a steady comeback. The experienced Hong Kong player saved three match points at 17-20 and another at 20-21, ultimately winning the game and forcing a decisive third game.

Lakshya commented, “Both games were solid. Credit goes to Angus for his strong comeback in the second game. I didn’t play well towards the end of the second game and gave him too many easy shots. I was ready to give my all in the third game, and I’m quite happy with how I played.” Although Angus attempted to rally back, saving a match point at 20-9, the gap was too significant for him to equalize.

He added, “I believe my tactics were correct in both games, but I lost focus in the final points. I made several mistakes, but it’s crucial to forget the first two games and concentrate on the third, sticking to the plan that was working.” As the only Indian remaining in singles, Lakshya will face the winner of the match between China’s sixth seed Li Shifeng and Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen.

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Kuldeep Singh Chundawat: My name is Kuldeep Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.