Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai All England Open Badminton Highlights: Sen battles past pain, spirited Lai, books finals spot

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Still absolutely nothing to keep them apart. Lai rattles off three points to take the lead, but relinquishes it immediately as he sends an overhead long.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Oof, very long rally there right after the changeover. Sen misses first, pushes his shot long.

Takes the next point quickly to re-establish his lead, 12-11.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Lai fights back with a couple of quick points to bring it back level, but Lakshya's quick hands pick off his opponent's overcommitment to take the narrow lead into the changeover.

Nothing to separate them. Both playing excellent defence and neither with the clear upper hand.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Heading to the changeover point with the first bit of daylight in this first game! Lakshya picks a nice angle with his backhand and Lai is too careful on his return, clips the net tape.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Still no daylight. Lai introducing just a little bit more variety and deception – a well-disguised backhand down the line grants him an easy putaway at the net to level things back up.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: No early streaks of points – points being swapped immediately. Both players look on even footing, nobody too overpowering just yet.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Points exchanged quick – a little more urgency from each side. Lai has an open court to knock a winner into but can only find net.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Very long first rally, Sen comes on top without having to force the issue.

‘India jeetega’ chants from the crowd.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Lai to serve first as we prepare to get things started.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Lakshya Sen walks onto court and massive cheers on his introduction! Birmingham has a very sizeable Indian diaspora, and they are present to help push him through.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Set to go in Birmingham! The mixed-double clash ends in three games – Sen and Lai have had to wait, but now it's gametime.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Lakshya Sen has all the athleticism and racket skills needed to make quick work of this final, but badminton has never been that simple a sport. Lai will back himself to take control of the rallies and wear down Lakshya: the big fight for the Indian will be to maintain his levels through three potential games.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: A mixed doubles semifinal taking place before the Sen-Lai game. The Hong Kong pair of Tang and Tse up a game in that one – the conclusion of that will see the singles encounter begin in Birmingham.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Victor Lai is steadily becoming one to watch in the world of Badminton. The 21-year-old Canadian's landmark result in his young career was reaching the semifinals at the Paris BWF World Championship in 2025: he beat former BWF World Champion Loh Kean Yew in the quarterfinals of that event. He still has plenty of distance left to rise, but once for the future.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Big result in the first semifinal! Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei knocks down his third top 10 talent in a row, taking care of Thai former number one Vitidsarn down in three gruelling games.

Terrific showing – he waits in the final.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Lakshya Sen is very happy with how he is covering the court, and how his endurance is improving. Here is what he said after his quarterfinal win:

“Happy with the way I played both the sets and also credit to him (Shifeng), he played a really solid game. There were some long rallies, both of us were getting tired, but yeah, happy with the way I stuck in there even after the long rallies.

My coach was also saying just be extra prepared after long rallies because even he is tired, so just don’t give any easy mistakes. I’m happy with the way I’m moving on court, and now it’s time to again recover as well so that I can move well tomorrow."

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Vitidsarn comes back to win the second set. This one going the distance – we will have to wait for the focus semifinal, but it's a mout-watering first match set up in Birmingham.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: World no. 2 Vitidsarn struggling in the first set against Lin, dropping it 21-14 against some excellent attacking badminton. Making his way back in the second – leads 12-6 at the moment.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Although he will take it one set at a time and knows the trophy is a fair ways away yet, Lakshya Sen will have two heroes to live up to. Only on two occasions has an Indian player lifted the cup at the All England – P Gopichand in 2001, and in 1980, Prakash Padukone. Lakshya will want to be the third.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Victor Lai of Canada is making rounds as a 21-year-old. Already in the top 20 of the rankings, coming in at no. 16, his ceiling is high, and he will have ambitions of keeping it going even higher. He has had a kind draw thus far, but this pair of players have never met on the senior tour. A decent chunk of the early game will be spent feeling each other out.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: The wait will be for a couple of matches to take place – the first men's semifinal, then a mixed doubles semifinal.

First up, world number 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand tries to end the run of world number 11 of Chinese Taipei, Lin Chun-Yi. Lin beat Popov and Christie – 4 and 5 in the world – and will want to add the Thai shuttler's scalp to his collection.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: The quarterfinal was the big test for Lakshya: he was drawn against world no. 6 Li Shifeng, who had beaten him at this very stage of last year's tournament in Birmingham. Against Li who was short of 100%, Lakshya was clinical – two sets, both won, neither with much complication as he eased through. A confidence-building feat.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Lakshya Sen makes it through to the semifinals thanks to a pair of massive victories in early rounds overs world no. 1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi, who he beat in a terrific back and forth encounter in the first round of the Open.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: This is the third time Lakshya Sen has made it to the semifinals of the BWF All England Open. He made it all the way to the finals in 2022, where he lost to Victor Axelsen, and then the semifinals again in 2024. He made it to the quarterfinals in 2025 as well – maybe his most consistent event on the world tour.

Lakshya Sen vs Victor Lai Semifinal LIVE Score: Welcome to our coverage of the All England Open Badminton Championships semifinal from Birmingham, where Lakshya Sen is trying to make a piece of history. After beating two top 10 players already, Sen wants to keep his momentum going and reach the finals of the tournament. In his way lies 21 year old Canadian Victor Lai.