Badminton World Championships: World No. 92 stuns home favourite Lakshya Sen

In a thrilling match at the Badminton World Championships, Garret Tan of the United States stunned home favourite Lakshya Sen with a hard-fought victory. The 18-year-old American, who is a former junior World number 1 and bronze medallist at the All England Junior Championships, defeated the Indian player in a grueling 73-minute contest.

Tan, playing from the faster side in the first game, generated significant power in his smashes, overpowering Lakshya as they battled neck-to-neck. Despite Tan taking a 12-10 lead, Lakshya managed to drop the shuttle short and force Tan to make errors on the net. The match remained tightly contested, with both players trading blows, until Tan managed to save a match point but ultimately lost the first game 21-19.

In the second game, Tan began with a 4-0 lead, as Lakshya made multiple mistakes on the net. The Indian player struggled to maintain his composure, allowing Tan to attack with his straight and cross court smashes. Tan further extended his lead in the second game, ultimately winning it 21-19. In the deciding game, Tan took an early lead of 8-2, but Lakshya mounted a strong comeback, pushing the score to 10-12.

Despite Tan's efforts to maintain his advantage, Lakshya managed to save one game point. However, Tan eventually prevailed with a decisive final point, knocking out the Indian shuttler and claiming victory in the match.