India’s Lakshya Sen, a former World Championship bronze medallist, caused a major upset at the All England Open 2026 badminton championship by defeating top seed and defending champion Shi Yuqi of China in the men’s singles opening round in Birmingham. Sen, who was the 2022 finalist, triumphed over the reigning world champion with a score of 23-21, 19-21, 21-17 in a thrilling match lasting over an hour.
Advancing to the next round were India’s mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, who secured a victory against the Malaysian duo of Hoo Peng Ron and Cheng Su Yin with a score of 21-17, 21-19. However, the spotlight of the day was on Sen, who displayed an aggressive game plan against his highly experienced opponent, maintaining pressure throughout the match.
Sen, aged 24, demonstrated exceptional control over the net and dominated the flat exchanges in the final game, securing a significant lead of 16-11 before clinching the victory with four match points. Despite a valiant effort from Shi, Sen’s strategic play proved decisive in the end. Meanwhile, Malvika Bansod’s journey in the championship concluded with a defeat against third seed Chen Yu Fei of China, with a score of 21-11, 21-6.
