In a gripping encounter at the US Open badminton tournament, Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen battled fiercely against reigning All England champion Li Shi Feng of China. Despite his best efforts, Lakshya, seeded third, was defeated 17-21, 24-22, 17-21 by the second-seeded Feng. The intense match lasted one hour and 16 minutes in the BWF Super 300 event on Saturday night.
The first game witnessed a closely contested fight between the two players until the score reached 17 points. Feng’s aggressive play, combined with some unforced errors from Lakshya, allowed the Chinese player to gain the upper hand. However, undeterred by the setback, Lakshya, a bronze medallist at the World Championships, staged a strong comeback in the second game.
Similar to the opening game, the second game was marked by an intense battle as both shuttlers refused to yield. Long rallies and a mix of clever drop shots and smashes characterized the exchanges between the two. The contest continued until 22 points, at which point Lakshya won two consecutive points to level the match and force a decider.
The decider mirrored the pattern of the first game as Feng took an early lead of 11-8 at the break. Lakshya fought valiantly, staying in contention until 17 points, but Feng intensified her game to secure victory in the game and the overall contest.
Lakshya had previously enjoyed a 5-2 win-loss record against Feng, including a recent victory of 21-18, 22-20 at the Canada Open where he clinched his second BWF Super 500 title.
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