Lakshya finishes runner-up again in All England Open

Birmingham: LakshyaSen fought with all his might but fell agonisingly short of ending India’s 25-year wait for an All England crown, losing to Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi in a high-intensity men’s singles final here on Sunday.

Playing his second All England final after finishing runner-up in 2022, the 24-year-old from Almora fought hard before losing 15-21, 20-22 in a 57-minute contest, marked by high-speed rallies and relentless attacking play.

The triumph made Lin Chun-yi the first player from Chinese Taipei to win the All England men’s singles title. Lakshya’s defeat meant that Prakash Padukone (1980) and Pullela Gopichand (2001) remain the only Indians to have won the prestigious title, while Prakash Nath (1947) and Saina Nehwal (2015) had come closest with runner-up finishes before Lakshya’s two final appearances.

Lakshya had arrived in the summit clash in impressive form after defeating some of the world’s best players such as world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi and World No. 6 Li Shi Feng during the week.

The Indian had endured a gruelling route to the final, including a marathon 97-minute semifinal against Canada’s Victor Lai during which he battled severe cramps and blisters on his foot.

By the time he stepped on court on Sunday, Lakshya had spent five hours and 16 minutes in matches during the tournament -- nearly an hour and a half more than Lin -- and the physical toll appeared to show in the final stages.

Playing with strapping on both thighs, Lakshya made a slow start and trailed 0-3 as Lin immediately asserted himself with sharp attacking play.