India Open 2022: Lakshya Sen sets up final with Loh Kean Yew, says 'it will be a good match' against world champion

(Source: Twitter)

New Delhi: World championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen entered his maiden World Tour Super 500 summit clash on Saturday with a come-from-behind win over Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open.

The 20-year-old from Almora, who had joined his mentor Prakash Padukone and B Sai praneeth as a medallist at the World championships last month, notched up a 19-21 21-16 21-12 win over the world number 60 Yong in a thrilling semifinal clash.

Hd started off the semi-final on a nervous, losing the first game and then coming back to win the next two. 

Speaking about his gam, Sen said, "I think the first game was very close. I did a few errors which cost me the first game. I kept my calm in the second and third and managed to pull it off." 

Third seed Sen, ranked 17 in the world, will face world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the summit clash on Sunday in a repeat of Dutch Open final last year.

Loh, seeded fifth, was given a walkover in the semifinals by Canada's Brian Yang after developing a sore throat and headache.

Sen will be itching to set the record straight after losing the Dutch Open final to Loh. Overall, the duo has a 2-2 head-to-head record with Sen losing two of the last three meetings.

He is playing well. It will be a good match tomorrow. Looking forward to it, said Sen. 

Sen had won two Super 100 titles -- Dutch Open and SaarLorLux Open -- besides three international challenge at Belgium, Scotland and Bangladesh in 2019 before COVID-19 somewhat halted his progress.

Last year, the youngster made it to the semifinals at Hylo, reached the knockout stage at World Tour Finals on debut before sizzling at the World Championships with a bronze.

With PTI inputs