Making a stylish comeback to peak performance, Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen won the Canada Open in Calgary this Sunday, marking his first title of the current year. The Commonwealth Games gold winner has faced a difficult 2023, but he successfully defeated China's Li Shi Feng, the All England champion, with a score of 21-18, 22-20. This win represents his second overall BWF World Tour title, adding to his victory at the 2022 India Open.
Indian star shuttler Lakshya Sen won his first title of the year as he stormed back into form in some style winning the Canada Open title on Sunday in Calgary. The Commonwealth Games Gold medalist Sen, who has endured a tough 2023, got the better of the All England champion Li Shi Feng of China in straight games 21-18, 22-20. The victory marks Lakshya’s second BWF World Tour title, having already won the India Open in January 2022.
Currently sitting at world number 19, Sen had to put in a massive effort to beat Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the world number 4, in the Round of 32 with a 21-18, 21-15 score. In the following round, the young Indian athlete easily brushed aside Brazil's Ygor Coelho de Oliveira in straight sets. His path grew steeper in the third round against Germany's Julien Carraggi, though Sen eventually prevailed 21-8, 17-21, 21-10. He then dominated the semifinal against Japan's Kento Nishimoto, ranked 11th, allowing him to reach his second Super 500 final and his first major title match in more than twelve months.
Following the World Championships last August, Sen had to undergo a surgical procedure for a deviated septum, leading to a long period of rehabilitation. Before this recent success, his last appearance in a final was at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in August of the previous year. After struggling with several early exits in recent tournaments, he first showed signs of returning to form by reaching the semifinals of the Thailand Open.
The final was a nail-biter; in the second set, Sen found himself trailing 16-20. However, he maintained his composure and surged back with six consecutive points to end his title drought. This marks his second BWF Super 500 victory, following his win at the India Open last year. From the start of the final, the world number 19 took control and held the lead throughout the first set. Despite a few strong challenges from Shi Feng, Sen stayed focused and closed the first set 21-18.
The second set saw a fierce comeback from Shi Feng, the world number 10, who pushed Sen to the brink at 16-20. With the set almost lost, Sen showed incredible resilience, saving four game points to snatch the set 22-20. The emotional victory saw him collapse to the court in relief, as this win was deeply meaningful after a grueling year. After taking a moment to recover, he celebrated his first world title of 2023 with the crowd. Sen's next challenge will be at the US Open, which begins on July 11.