Lakshya Sen Storms Into All England Championships Quarterfinals

Last Updated:March 06, 2026, 09:15 IST

Lakshya Sen beat Ng Ka Long Angus to advance to the quarterfinals of the All England Open Badminton Championships. He will face Li Shi Feng next.

Star Indian men’s singles shuttler Lakshya Sen delivered a determined performance to beat Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long Angus and advance to the men’s singles quarterfinals of the All England Open Badminton Championships on Thursday.

World No. 12 Lakshya, a finalist in the 2022 edition, showcased his sharpness in intense rallies and physical exchanges, ultimately overcoming former world top-10 player Ng Ka Long with a score of 21-19, 21-23, 21-10 in a thrilling round-of-16 match.

“It was a solid game. Credit to him for making a strong comeback in the second set. I think I didn’t play freely towards the end of the second set and gave away too many easy shots," Lakshya said.

“But I was prepared again for the third set, and I’m happy with how I played. Tactically, I was playing the right game in both sets. It’s just that I didn’t stick to the plan in the final points and made too many errors. It was crucial to forget the second set, reset, and stick to the game plan in the third set."

Lakshya, a 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, will next face either China’s sixth seed Li Shi Feng or Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen.

“I’m feeling quite good on court, especially in the last two matches. Now, it’s time to recover and get ready for another tough match tomorrow," he added.

In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto retired hurt after trailing 19-21, 8-9 in their match against Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet.

Lakshya entered the match having lost all three previous encounters against Ng Ka Long. Initially, he fell behind in the opening game but fought back from 4-6 to take a 15-11 lead with aggressive returns and sharp placements.

Extending his lead to 17-13 with a well-timed overhead attack, Ng Ka Long narrowed the gap, but Lakshya maintained pressure. At 15-17, a call went against Lakshya as he had no video challenges left.

He reached 19-17 with a sharp smash, and despite Ng Ka Long’s resistance, closed the game with another jump smash.

Lakshya continued his momentum into the second game, taking an 11-4 lead at the interval with consistent shot quality and power. Ng Ka Long fought back from 12-17 to 17-19, eventually winning the game 23-21 to force a decider.

In the third game, Lakshya showed resilience, surging to 6-2 with strong shots and robust defence. Leading 10-4 with a precise cross-court shot, he maintained a six-point cushion at the interval.

As rallies shortened, Lakshya capitalised on Ng Ka Long’s errors to lead 14-6.

Despite Ng Ka Long’s efforts, Lakshya’s superb defence and increased pace permitted him to move to 18-7.

Lakshya earned 11 match points at 20-9, sealing the win when Ng Ka Long’s shot sailed out.

Lakshya would take on sixth seed Li Shi Feng in the quarterfinals on Friday. It would be a fierce battle, with the head-to-head numbers between the duo at seven-all. Their last encounter saw Li win the 2025 Hong Kong Open final in straight games.

(With PTI Inputs)

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