New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) Former chief coach Vimal Kumar opined that Indian star shuttler Lakshya Sen’s absence was felt in India’s 3-0 loss in the Thomas Cup semifinal while also lauding France for their dominant show against former champions to make it to their maiden title clash.

Paris 2024 semi-finalist Sen was forced to sit out for the semi-final tie after suffering an impact injury to his elbow during quarter-final clash against Chinese Taipei on Friday.

Just as in their quarterfinals against Japan, France were clinical against India. France’s top three singles players once again delivered, preventing India from leveraging the strength of their top doubles combination.

“France completely overwhelmed India today, and Lakshya’s absence was certainly felt at crucial moments. That said, this result also highlights just how much France has grown as a badminton nation—they’re progressing rapidly and competing with real authority at the highest level,” Vimal shared on X.

Christo Popov once again showed the way, this time against the in-form Ayush Shetty, whose devastating attack has been the fulcrum of the Indian campaign.

Then it was Alex Lanier against the experienced Kidambi Srikanth – young star against seasoned campaigner. Much the same happened in the third singles between Toma Junior Popov and HS Prannoy.

Meanwhile, awaiting them in the final are China, looking for their 12th title.

“Looking ahead, they will carry strong belief into the final, especially if it’s against China. With the form they’re in, they have every chance of making it a closely fought contest.

Christo Popov continues to be a standout performer. Winning the year-end Finals last season and delivering such dominant performances—like his exceptional display against Indonesia, where he convincingly beat Jonatan Christie—shows the level of confidence and quality he’s bringing to the court,” he added.

The former coach further said for the 2022 champions India have unquestionable potential, and they will regroup and come back stronger. “For India, this is a moment to regroup and come back stronger. The potential in this team is unquestionable,” he concluded.

–IANS

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