Lakshya Sen vs Lin Chun-Yi, All England Open Badminton Final 2026: Lakshya Sen went down fighting against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi 15-21 20-22 in 57 minutes to finish second at the All England Open for a second time. With the win, Lin Chun Yi became the first shuttler from TPE to win the men’s singles title at All England, and has extended his record to 5-0 against Lakshya.
“I think it was a good match today. The first set was… I think he was a better player, but in the second game I could have finished off better. But I’m happy with the way I played throughout the week. Pretty emotional right now, thinking about the match. But overall, lots of positives to take,” Lakshya told BWF later.
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The world No 12 came through a sensational, often gruelling, semifinal clash against Canada’s Victor Lai on Saturday at the prestigious All England Open but that seemed to have compromised him physically. The 24-year-old, who had also reached the summit clash in 2022, not only overcame a spirited Lai but also blisters in his right foot to win 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 in an hour and 37 minutes.
Lakshya became only the second Indian player to reach two All England finals following in the footsteps of his mentor Prakash Padukone, who had reached summit clashes in 1980 and 1981 and won the title in his first appearance. The last Indian to win the All England title was Pullela Gopichand in 2001 and despite his best efforts, that wait continues.
Read more about Lakshya’s final here.
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Who is Lin Chun-Yi, Lakshya Sen’s opponent in the All England final?
Taiwan’s Lin Chun-Yi is perhaps the most improved top player in men’s singles over last two years. (Badminton Photo)
Taiwanese Lin Chun-Yi is how ‘tough’ gets spelt on Finals Day. Twice over Victor Lai, Chun-Yi is perhaps the most improved top player in men’s singles over last two years. He leads Sen 4-0, largely due to a playing style that is charring on rival spirits. He’s scathing in his attacks, and like all wickedly tough shuttlers, a soft-spoken easygoing person off the court.
He is ranked No 11 to Sen’s 12, and like Lai, winning the first set against him is no guarantee of anything when it comes to him.
His game style is bruising in a fifth possible way than Sen’s last four opponents. Shi Yuqi constructed rallies. NG Ka Long Angus combined sudden speed with control. Li Shifeng had intermittent expansive smashes, and bossed the net. Victor Lai just played too many shots in volume terms, demanding Sen run a lot, though his shots lacked sting. That’s positioning, precision, power and proportion on four days. Lin Chun-Yi combines the first three, and holds the props (proper dues) on history between the two. READ MORE
