Crowd Favourite Lakshya Sen Knocked Out In Badminton World Championships After Loss To USA's Garrett Tan

Lakshya Sen's campaign came to an end after he suffered a hard-fought defeat against world No. 92 Garret Tan of the USA. The American, a former junior world No. 1 and All England Junior Championships bronze medallist, prevailed 19-21, 21-19, 21-17 in a 73-minute thriller. Sen had earlier survived a scare against Austria's Collins Valentine Filimon in the opening round.

Playing from the faster end of the court in the opening game, Sen struggled to contain Tan's powerful overhead and cross-court smashes. The American repeatedly capitalised whenever Sen's lifts fell short, using his attacking game to put pressure on the Indian. Despite this, Sen stayed in the contest and looked to counter with short drops at the net.

The two players remained locked in a tight battle, with Tan taking a 12-10 advantage before trying to exploit Sen around the net. Sen responded effectively with his own delicate net play, forcing Tan into a series of errors. With the score tied at 18-18, Sen edged ahead and held his nerve to close out the opening game 21-19.

Tan made a fast start in the second game, racing to a 4-0 lead as Sen committed several errors at the net. The American went into the interval leading 11-8 and continued to dictate rallies with a combination of controlled lifts, drops and sharp straight and cross-court smashes. Although Tan moved ahead 20-15, Sen fought back strongly in front of the home crowd to reduce the deficit to just one point.

However, Tan kept his composure when it mattered most and finished the game 21-19 with a decisive smash after a net exchange. The result sent the match into a tense deciding game, where both players produced some outstanding rallies, powerful attacks and impressive defensive saves. Tan once again gained the early advantage, moving 8-2 ahead before taking an 11-4 lead into the mid-game interval.

With Sen seemingly on the brink of elimination, the home crowd rallied behind him and inspired an impressive fightback. The Indian won six straight points to close the gap to 10-12, but Tan responded by restoring his five-point cushion at 17-12. Sen continued to battle and saved one match point, but Tan eventually secured the final point to complete the victory.

The arena fell silent as Tan ended Sen's run and knocked out the home favourite. Despite the defeat, Sen's spirited comeback in the deciding game showcased his fighting qualities. Tan's consistency and attacking power ultimately proved decisive in a thrilling encounter.