Birmingham, March 8 (IANS) Playing with blisters on the toes of his right leg, India star Lakshya Sen finished runner-up after going down to Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei in the men’s singles final of the All England Open Badminton Championships 2026 at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham on Sunday.

Sen lost 15-21, 20-22 in a closely fought contest that lasted 57 minutes. This is the second time the Indian star from Uttarakhand has finished the event with a silver medal after losing in the 2022 final.

Sen, who had spent more than five hours on the court in the run-up to the final, fought hard through the well-fought summit clash against the lightning-fast Lin but ended on the wrong side of the score line once again.

Lin, who had won the India Open Super 500 title earlier this year, became the first men’s singles player from Chinese Taipei to clinch the title in the prestigious tournament.

Lin made a brisk start to the match and quickly asserted control in the opening game. The Chinese Taipei shuttler raced to an early lead with a series of sharp attacking rallies, putting Sen on the back foot from the outset. Though the Indian managed to pull back a few points with improved aggression and better control at the net, Lin maintained his advantage heading into the mid-game interval.

After the break, Lin continued to dictate the tempo, extending his lead with a string of points. Sen attempted to stage a comeback, but Lin remained composed and wrapped up the first game 21-15, capitalising on his strong start.

Sen, who took time to get off the blocks and began to push Lin into longer rallies once he found his rhythm, struggled to find the depth in his lifts and tosses, and Lin pounced on them to find the cross-court winners in the opening game.

Facing a must-win situation in the second game, Sen came up with a spirited response as he began to find his rhythm and take control of the rallies. The Indian strung together a sequence of points to open up a healthy lead and looked determined to push the match into a decider. His improved movement and attacking play helped him keep Lin under pressure as he entered the interval ahead.

Lin, however, fought back strongly after the restart. The Chinese Taipei shuttler gradually chipped away at Sen’s lead and eventually drew level in the closing stages, setting up a tense finish. The two players exchanged points in a thrilling endgame, with neither willing to concede ground.

The contest went to deuce twice as both shuttlers produced high-quality rallies under pressure. In the decisive moments, Lin held his nerve to edge past Sen 22-20, completing a remarkable comeback from several points down in the second game to seal the title.

Despite the defeat, Sen delivered a commendable performance and showed great resilience, particularly in the second game. Lin, meanwhile, capped off an impressive campaign with a composed display in the final to claim the prestigious crown.

–IANS

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