Lakshya Sen Falls Short Again in All England Final, Loses to Lin Chun-Yi in Straight Games

 

Lakshya Sen’s wait for a historic All England title continued as the Indian shuttler suffered defeat in the final for the second time. The Bengali star had a golden opportunity to script history but could not overcome Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi, who won in straight games 21-15, 22-20.

Sen did not have a favourable record against Lin coming into the match. In their previous four meetings, the Indian had lost every time. However, after Sen’s impressive victories against strong opponents in the quarterfinal and semifinal, there was renewed hope that he could turn things around in the final. Unfortunately for him, Lin once again proved too strong.

The left-handed Lin created constant problems for Sen. Left-handers often produce awkward angles against right-handed opponents, and that advantage was evident from the start of the match. Lin dominated the opening game and, despite Sen’s efforts to close the gap, comfortably took it 21-15.

Sen made a promising start in the second game and managed to take the lead. Long rallies followed, leaving both players visibly tired. At one stage Sen was ahead 13-8, raising hopes that he would force a decider. But Lin staged an impressive comeback. Trailing by five points, the Chinese Taipei player fought back to level the score at 16-16.

The closing phase turned into a tense contest, with both players exchanging the lead. In the end, Lin held his nerve under pressure and forced Sen into errors. The Indian hit wide on the final two points, allowing Lin to clinch the game 22-20 and seal the match in 57 minutes.

Before Sen, only two Indian men had won the prestigious All England title — Prakash Padukone in 1980 and Pullela Gopichand in 2001. After 25 years, Sen had the chance to add his name to that illustrious list, but the historic moment will have to wait.