Lakshya Sen beats Christie to reach men's singles pre-quarterfinals at Paris Olympics

India's Lakshya Sen advanced to the pre-quarterfinals of the Olympic men's singles badminton competition with a stunning straight-game victory over Indonesia's world number 4, Jonatan Christie, in the final group match on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old from Almora, a 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, displayed exceptional maturity and tactical skill to defeat Christie, the reigning All England and Asian champion, 21-18, 21-12, in a lopsided contest.

Sen is expected to face fellow Indian HS Prannoy in the pre-quarterfinals, with Prannoy set to play against Vietnam's Le Duc Phat later in the day.

Sen had previously defeated Kevin Cordon, a Tokyo Olympics semifinalist, in the opening Group L match on Sunday, but the result was "deleted" after his Guatemalan opponent withdrew due to a left elbow injury.

A gold medallist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Sen then beat Julien Carraggi of Belgium before facing Christie.

Sen had only defeated Christie once before, four years ago at the Badminton Asia Team Championships, and entered this match with a 1-4 head-to-head record. However, Sen rose to the occasion on Wednesday, demonstrating great maturity throughout the match.

He strategically targeted Christie's weak forehand and kept the shuttle flat, countering Christie's attempts to slow down the rallies with cross-court shots. 

In the first game, Christie took an early 5-0 lead and moved to 8-2. Sen quickly regrouped, keeping the shuttle flat and waiting for Christie to make mistakes, eventually moving to 7-8 before a powerful forehand smash gave him a one-point advantage.

Sen used fast, flat exchanges to move to 14-12, but Christie slowed the pace with a gruelling rally, winning with a push at the backline. Christie drew level at 16-16 with a precise cross-court smash, then gained an 18-16 lead. Sen responded with a straight smash, and Christie made an error, making it 18-18.

A perfect flat push and an incredible behind-the-back return during the next rally gave Sen game point, which he converted to win the first game.

After the change of sides, Sen made some errors at the backline, tying the score at 3-3. He continued to press the back court with pushes and smashes, playing at a high tempo. His reflex defence remained solid, moving to a 10-5 lead.

Christie's errors increased, giving Sen a five-point advantage at the halfway mark. Sen kept Christie at bay with a variety of strokes, preventing him from approaching the net.

The Indonesian's desperation led to frequent errors, with Sen moving to 18-12. A flat exchange ended at the net, bringing Sen closer to victory. Another long rally ended with a long shot from Christie, giving Sen eight match points. When Christie sent another shot into the net, Sen celebrated his victory.

(With PTI inputs)