Horsens (Denmark), May 2 (IANS) Men’s singles player Lakshya Sen, will not be participating in Saturday’s semi-final tie against France in the Thomas & Uber Cup Finals 2026 after sustaining an impact to his elbow following an intense quarterfinal match that involved multiple dives.

“Following a thorough evaluation by the team’s medical staff, the decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to allow Lakshya adequate recovery time and ensure he is in optimal condition for the final, should India progress. He is currently under close medical observation and receiving all necessary support. The team remains confident and optimistic about his swift recovery and return to peak form,” Sanjay Mishra, general secretary said in a statement.

World no. 6 Lakshya Sen gave India the winning start in quarterfinals as he saved two match points in the second game to beat Chou Tien Chen 18-21, 22-20, 21-17 in an hour and 28 minutes.

The opening match between Sen and Chou, who had a 4-4 head-to-head record before this clash, was a topsy-turvy affair as both the players overcame a sizeable deficit in the first two-games to take the match to a decider.

While Chou fought back from 10-15 in the first, Sen trailed 14-17 in the second before saving two match points.

Sen, the two-time All England finalist, then kept his nose ahead in the third with a strong attacking play to hand India the first point.

The former Asian champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then made it 2-0 for India with a clinical showing in the decider.

Ayush Shetty, who had remained unbeaten throughout the group stage, outmuscled reigning All England champion Lin Chun-Yi 21-16, 21-17 in 48 minutes to kick off celebrations in the Indian camp.

Shetty had overturned a 10-12 deficit in the opening game by bagging seven straight points and never looked back from there on. He always looked in control in the second game, underlining his development as a top class shuttler in the last few months.

India, the 2022 champions defeated a strong Taipei outfit 3-0 in the men’s quarterfinals and will now face the winner of the match between Japan and France for a spot in the final.

–IANS

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