India's Lakshya Sen bowed out in the semifinals of the inaugural King Cup International Badminton Open, suffering a straight-game loss to reigning world junior champion Hu Zhe'an of China in the men's singles in Shenzhen, China on Saturday.
The 23-year-old from Almora fought hard but couldn't overcome the relentless Hu, losing 19-21, 19-21 in a thrilling contest.
The match saw both shuttlers locked in a tight battle, with little separating them throughout. Hu took a slender one-point advantage at the break after Lakshya's backhand went into the net. The 18-year-old Hu, who made his international debut in 2022, continued to press on and clinched the opening game when Lakshya hit wide.
The second game followed a similar pattern, with the score tied at 6-6 before Hu surged ahead to 12-10. Lakshya managed to fight back, taking a three-point lead at 19-16, but Hu showcased his attacking prowess with powerful smashes and delicate drops, ultimately sealing the win.
Lakshya, who had earlier won the Syed Modi International Super 300 title this month, had defeated Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long in the quarterfinals of the three-day event, which offers a prize purse of approximately USD 152,000. The tournament was launched by two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China.
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