Paris Olympics: Lakshya Sen loses to Axelsen, to play against Lee Zii Jia for bronze

The first game saw Lakshya gain the upper hand initially with 11-9 at the break. However, the two players engaged in long, intense rallies, with the drift in the arena playing a significant role

Paris: India’s badminton sensation, Lakshya Sen lost to Denmark’s defending Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen 20-22, 14-21 in the men’s singles semifinal on Sunday.

Lakshya will next face Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia in the bronze medal match on Monday.

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While Axelsen will take on Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the final.

The first game saw Lakshya gain the upper hand initially with 11-9 at the break. However, the two players engaged in long, intense rallies, with the drift in the arena playing a significant role. It occasionally disrupted Axelsen’s precision, allowing Lakshya to stay competitive.

Axelsen’s strategy revolved around enticing Lakshya into powerful smashes despite the Indian shuttler’s smart play. Even with a five-point lead at 20-17, Axelsen bounced back and broke three-game points to take the first game 22-20.

In the second game, Lakshya quickly surged ahead to a 7-0 lead but true to his champion form, Axelsen clawed his way back, tying the game at 10-10. Lakshya managed to edge ahead by the break, leading 11-10.

However, Axelsen’s experience and resilience came to the fore as he unleashed a series of powerful attacks in the latter half of the game.

Lakshya, despite his best efforts, couldn’t withstand the onslaught and the game slipped away, ending 21-14 in Axelsen’s favour.

Axelsen’s victory secured him a spot in the second successive Olympic singles final, where he will face Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn. Notably, the Danish maestro has yet to lose a game in Paris.

For Lakshya Sen, the journey doesn’t end here. On Monday, he will face Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in the bronze medal match, a chance to end his Olympic campaign on a high note.