India Open badminton: In Lakshya Sen’s heartbreaking quarterfinal exit, net gains but drift troubles

There was a sharp contrast in emotions when the two players were asked about that rally post-match. Lin, without even needing the help of the translator, exclaimed that Lakshya’s shot was “beautiful, very beautiful.” When it was put forth to an obviously disappointed Lakshya whether he’d look at it as a fun moment in reflection, he retorted with a deadpan face: “It was a good rally, but again, it’s only one point.” Those feelings would have been different, of course, if Lakshya kept his run alive at the Super 750 India Open. “A very close match, I just could have been a little more clinical towards the end,” he rued.

Lakshya Sen competes in the India Open on Friday, January 16, 2026. (Express Photo | Abhinav Saha)

And it had all started oh-so-well for him. Coming into the match with a 0-3 record against Lin, Lakshya was sharp in the opening game, thanks to some sensational net-play that helped him control the frontcourt battle. The rally for 2-2, even though Lakshya lost the point by the barest of margins after a reverse slice drop fell just wide, showed that his gameplan was to keep the shuttle tight at the tape and take pace off as much as possible, preventing Lin from unleashing his smashes. The four straight points he won to take an 11-9 lead into the interval were all earned by his front-court sharpness.

He was ready to switch it up too, increasing the pace right after the break with his first real show of aggression and nailed two smash winners. A breathtaking 54-shot rally saw Lakshya defending with everything he’s got, and when one loose lift gave Lin the chance to kill the point with a smash, the Indian had guessed correctly that it was coming to his forehand flank and threw Lin off with a forehand block to go up 17-11. It all seemed to be coming together.

But once they switched sides, the slide had begun. While Lin too had problems in the first game with getting the length right, Lakshya felt it more. There was indecision on his side when he let the shuttle drop inside the lines on a couple of occasions, and there was inaccuracy on the far side when he tried to push Lin back but couldn’t keep the bird within bounds.

“I was not prepared for the wind in today’s match,” Lakshya conceded later. “There was more wind on court than yesterday, so it took me some time to realise that. I was a bit shaky from the net to lift the shuttle, and I made so many errors just from the front. But I think I could figure out (the wind) in the third set, and managed to not give so many easy errors from that side. The near side was a little bit faster, so I had to control a bit better. From where I started, I could play freely with the lifts, and I think even he was doing the same.”

It was those errors that saw him lose nine straight points from 5-2 to 5-11 in the second. After briefly threatening to fight back at 11-14, the fight eventually fizzled out.

Lakshya needed to start the decider well from the side he was more comfortable with – it has been a problem area in the past – and the Indian raced to a 4-0 lead. Lakshya’s return of serve and net-play were helping him win quite a few points, but every time he lifted, Lin rained down with his smashes. An 11-10 lead didn’t appear to be enough heading towards the windy side. While Lakshya adjusted well to race ahead 15-12, in hindsight, came the miss of the match as he snatched at a smash that thudded halfway into the net.

It was the change of momentum Lin craved for. Despite the crowd pushing Lakshya along, at 20-18, Lin came up with a deep forehand crosscourt clear that had the Indian scrambling backwards, slip and fall at the backcourt as his right foot seemed to get stuck, and stay on his back with obvious disappointment as his opponent put away the winner. And just like that, for the second straight year, Lin Chun Yi ended Lakshya Sen’s campaign at the India Open.