Women’s doubles pair of P Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly were crashed out of the ongoing All England Open Championship after losing in the semi-finals on Saturday. The Indian pair defeated China’s Zhang Shuxian and Zheng Yu 21-17, 21-16 in straight games in a match that lasted 51 minutes. The Chinese pair will face Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida in the final.
Earlier, India’s youth sensation Lakshya Sen defeated Malaysia’s Ji Jia Lee 21-13, 12-21, 21-19 in a thrilling three-game clash to reach the final of the tournament. Lakshya went to the last point to win the contest in one hour and 16 minutes and became the first Indian male player to reach the final after 21 years.
The last time Saina Nehwal reached the All England final was in 2015, where she was runner-up and the last time was Indian Pullela Gopichand, who won the All England Badminton Championship in 2001.
Only two Indians have won the tournament before Prakash Padukone in 1980 and Pullela Gopichand in 2001. Lakshya Sen is just one win away from being the third Indian. Lakshya has also become the fifth Indian to enter the All England final.