Lakshya Sen Fights Back to Reach the Hylo Open Semi-Finals, Faces Toma Junior Popov Next

What happened

Lakshya Sen did not make it easy for himself in Saarbrücken. Against Finland's Kalle Koljonen, ranked 53 places below him, the Indian lost the opening game 14-21 as Koljonen controlled the pace with deep clears and sharp cross-court angles, Sportstar reported.

The second game turned on rhythm. Lakshya led 11-7 at the interval, tightened his length and began taking the shuttle early whenever Koljonen lifted short, pinning the 32-year-old to the baseline. He levelled the match 21-17.

From 4-4 in the decider, he pulled clear to lead by five at the change of ends and closed it out 21-13. The match lasted one hour and six minutes, according to India Today and Rediff, and sent the seventh seed into the semi-finals of the Super 500 event.

It was his second straight three-game win of the week. A round earlier he had beaten compatriot Kiran George 21-15, 18-21, 21-12.

Why people are searching

• A semi-final on Saturday. Indian fans are checking the time and opponent for his match against Toma Junior Popov of France.
• Form questions. India Sports Hub described the result as a chance to rebuild confidence after a series of below-par performances in recent tournaments.
• A big day for Indian badminton. PV Sindhu beat Germany's Amalie Schulz in 28 minutes and Anmol Kharb beat Unnati Hooda in three games, setting up an all-Indian women's semi-final, Rediff reported.

Who is Lakshya Sen?

The 25-year-old is India's top-ranked men's singles player, Rediff noted, and a former World Championships bronze medallist, according to India Today. He first came to wide attention as a junior, winning the Asian Junior Championships title in Jakarta in 2018, and a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires the same year, according to Olympics.com, the event shown in the photo above.

What to watch in the semi-final

Popov is ranked one place above Lakshya at world No. 13, so this is close to an even contest on paper. Sportstar noted areas the Indian will want to tighten: a few rushed cross-court lifts under pressure and defensive blocks that gave opponents room to attack. A cleaner start than in his last two matches would also help.

What comes next

The semi-finals are on Saturday, 31 October, and the finals on Sunday, 1 November. This page will be updated with Lakshya's semi-final result once it is confirmed.