Former finalist Lakshya Sen knocked out defending champion Jonatan Christie in the second round of the All England Open 2025 in Birmingham on Thursday, 13 March. Lakshya dominated the Indonesian star, who was seeded third, winning the men’s singles match in straight games-21-13, 21-10-in a contest that lasted just 36 minutes.
Lakshya Sen and Jonatan Christie, two of the most highly rated youngsters on the circuit, faced off as early as the second round, adding to the excitement of Thursday’s action in Birmingham. The Indian shuttler delivered one of his finest performances, dismantling Christie without allowing the World No. 2 any real opportunities throughout the match.
It was Lakshya’s third victory over Christie, who had beaten him in the semi-final of last year’s All England Open. Lakshya had previously edged past the Indonesian in a group-stage encounter at the Paris Olympics on his way to a fourth-place finish.
Lakshya moved effortlessly around the court with a spring in his step, bringing out his trademark defensive skills to frustrate Christie. He consistently made Christie play extra shots in rallies, forcing unforced errors. In a delightful rally in the second game, Christie attempted a drop shot from the backcourt, hoping to catch Lakshya off guard. However, the Indian shuttler read it perfectly, stretched forward to return the shot, and forced Christie into an error. The Indonesian tried to smash one down the line but ended up hitting it wide.
It was a masterclass in maintaining energy and momentum, as Lakshya never relinquished control after taking the opening game 21-13. He raced to a 6-3 lead in the second game, but Christie fought back to level at 6-6. However, Lakshya then accelerated towards the finish line with lightning speed. Fully aware that Christie was under pressure, he kept the rallies short with aggressive shot-making, which proved decisive. From 11-7, Lakshya surged to 16-7 before closing out the match, converting his second match point.
Lakshya’s father, DK Sen, who was watching from the sidelines, was a proud man, witnessing his son deliver yet another memorable performance at the All England Open. Lakshya reached the final in 2022 and the semi-final of the prestigious Super 1000 tournament last year.
Lakshya will face the winner of another second-round match between sixth seed Li Shi Feng of China and Toma Junior Popov, who defeated HS Prannoy in the first round.
MALAVIKA BOWS OUT IN SECOND ROUND
Earlier in the day, Malavika Bansod’s inspiring run came to an end when she lost in straight games to Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. The World No. 3 comfortably outclassed World No.28 Malvika 21-16 21-13 in a contest that lasted just 33 minutes.
With Malavika’s exit, India’s women’s singles campaign ended at All England Open 2025. On Wednesday, PV Sindhu suffered a first-round exit, losing to lower-ranked Kim Ga-eun.
