Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag Enter Hong Kong Open Final

In a thrilling display of resilience, India's Lakshya Sen powered into his first major final in two years at the Hong Kong Open on Saturday. The 23-year-old from Almora outlasted Chinese Taipei's world No. 9 Chou Tien Chen in a straight-games battle, winning 23-21, 22-20 after a grueling 56 minutes. Sen, a 2021 World Championships bronze medalist and Commonwealth Games champion, showcased sharp defense and timely attacks to overcome the experienced 35-year-old. This marks a significant milestone for the world No. 20, whose last Super 500 title came at the Canada Open in 2023. He now faces China's second seed, Li Shi Feng, in Sunday's summit clash.

Meanwhile, the dynamic men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty finally broke their semifinal curse, storming into their first final of the season. The world No. 9 duo dismantled Chinese Taipei's Bing-Wei Lin and Chen Cheng-Kuan 21-17, 21-15 in a dominant performance. After six heartbreaking semifinal exits since last year's China Open, the eighth-seeded Indians expressed relief and excitement. "Finals, finally," Chirag said, highlighting their strong run at the World Championships despite not reaching the final. They gear up to challenge Paris Olympics silver medalists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China.

Sen's semifinal was a masterclass in endurance. Leading early in the first game, he fended off Chou's comebacks, including a tense 51-shot rally, before sealing it with a lucky net cord. The second game saw Chou surge ahead with powerful smashes, but Sen saved game points and clinched victory with precise kills and defensive brilliance, ending on another fortuitous net touch.

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Satwik and Chirag's match was equally commanding. They overcame early ties in the first game with Satwik's thunderous smashes and Chirag's quick interceptions, closing strongly. In the second, despite a brief Taiwanese lead, the Indians rallied to dominate the end, converting their first match point after forcing errors. This sets the stage for an electrifying finale in Hong Kong.

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