Credit: X
Playing at the Aréna Porte de La Chapelle, Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen registered a monumental win over Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen 19-21, 21-15, 21-12 at the Paris Olympics 2024. Before this quarterfinal clash, Sen took down fellow Indian HS Pranoy in the Round of 16 clash with a 21-18, 21-19 victory.
The first game of the quarterfinal was an absolute battle of attrition with Sen and Chen going blow for through and through. Both shuttles showed off their class and held the upper hand with multiple thrilling rallies full of magical shot-making. But despite his best efforts, Sen fell short as 12th seeded star registered a 21-19 win.
Game 2 was another entertaining encounter with Chen and Sen pushing each other to the limits. The pair played long and gruelling rallies where the Aréna Porte de La Chapelle crowd was at the edge of their seats. With the scores level at 7, Chen took a small lead before the Indian levelled back at 10-10. In the end game, Sen showed off his resilience zoom forward to win the second game 21-15.
Then came the deciding Game 3 which saw both shuttles go neck and neck with scores level at 3-3. Each point felt like a battle before Sen jumped to a 9-4 lead with some thunderous smashes. Here Chou Tien Chen stitched up a comeback as the scoreboard said 11-7 at the break.
But after the interval, Sen maintained his distance and took a 15-10 lead. Chen found a few glimmers to claw back but the Indian held his own to surge ahead with an 18-12 lead. Then moments later, Sen scripted history to win Game 3 21-12 and become the first Indian to reach the semi-finals of the Men's Singles event at an Olympics.
After losing to Sen in the pre-quarterfinal, HS Pranoy penned an emotional note for his fellow Indian shuttler. Posting on X, Pranoy wrote, "I was not sure what to expect coming into these Olympic Games, with so many uncertainties. But then, that’s how sport works."
"I still wanted to be on that podium, but sometimes the journey teaches you more than the destination. A special shoutout to Lakshya keep fighting and bring home the medal, bruh! Thank you to everyone for all the support. This journey has been unforgettable. Will always cherish the tag of an Olympian. That was a dream."
