Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen continued his impressive run at the All England Open Badminton Championships 2026, defeating China's sixth seed Li Shi
Feng to book his place in the men's singles semi-finals.
The World No. 12 produced a commanding performance to secure a straight-games victory, winning 21-13, 21-16 in the quarter-final clash.
With the victory, Lakshya advanced to the last four of one of badminton's most prestigious tournaments and will next face the winner of the quarter-final between Canada's Victor Lai and Japan's Koki Watanabe.
Lakshya Sen dominates Li Shi Feng despite past record
Heading into the match, Lakshya had lost all three of his previous meetings against Li Shi Feng. However, the Indian shuttler turned the tables with a composed and aggressive display.
After a competitive start in the opening game, Lakshya recovered from a 4-6 deficit to take control of the rally exchanges. With precise shot placement and attacking returns, he moved ahead to a 15-11 lead before extending the advantage.
A powerful overhead attack helped him stretch the score to 17-13, and he eventually closed out the game comfortably at 21-13.
Strong second game seals semi-final spot
Lakshya carried the momentum into the second game, starting strongly with a series of attacking strokes that pushed Li onto the defensive.
The Indian built a commanding 11-4 lead at the mid-game interval and continued to dominate with a mix of powerful smashes and sharp cross-court placements.
Despite a brief attempt at a comeback from Li Shi Feng, Lakshya maintained control of the rallies and sealed the match 21-16 to secure his semi-final berth.
Lakshya had earlier battled through a tough round-of-16 match against Hong Kong's Ng Ka Long Angus.
In a dramatic encounter, he won 21-19, 21-23, 21-10 after an intense series of rallies.
The former world No. 10 Ng Ka Long pushed Lakshya to the limit, forcing a decider after saving multiple match points in the second game.
However, Lakshya showed strong mental resilience in the final game, racing to a 6-2 lead before dominating the rallies with solid defence and aggressive shot-making to close out the contest.
Lakshya has previously enjoyed success at the All England Championships, finishing as runner-up in 2022.
The 24-year-old is also a bronze medallist from the 2021 BWF World Championships.
With his semi-final berth in 2026, Lakshya once again finds himself among the tournament's top contenders as he looks to push for another historic final appearance.
