Paris Olympics: Lakshya Sen Falls to Viktor Axelsen in Semi-Final, To Play for Bronze Tomorrow

Paris: In a gripping semi-final at the Paris Olympics 2024, star Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen was defeated by reigning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen on Sunday. The 22-year-old, unseeded Sen, despite his spirited performance, succumbed to the world number two with a scoreline of 20-22, 14-21.

Sen’s medal hopes remain alive as he is set to face Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in the bronze medal match on Monday at 6 PM IST. Lee, ranked world number seven, lost his semi-final match to Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, 14-21, 15-21.

The semi-final clash saw Sen initially dominating against Axelsen. Inspired by his straight-game victory over higher-ranked Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan in the quarter-finals, Sen took an early 11-9 lead in the first game, extending it to 15-9 after a series of six consecutive points. However, despite holding three game points at 20-17, Sen’s unforced errors allowed Axelsen to recover and clinch the game 22-20.

In the second game, Sen’s bright start saw him leading 7-0. Yet, Axelsen’s resilience and tactical long rallies turned the tide, bringing the score to 11-10 in Sen’s favour before the Dane’s powerful smashes secured a 21-14 victory, sealing the match.

Post-match, Axelsen acknowledged the challenge Sen posed, describing it as his toughest match of the Paris Olympics. “Lakshya started so well, but I managed to relax in the second game. In four years, I’m sure he’ll be a top contender for gold in LA 2028,” Axelsen stated in an interview with JioCinema.