In what feels like a perfect redemption story, India’s top men’s singles shuttler Lakshya Sen defeated long-time rival Li Shifeng in the All England Open 2026 quarterfinals reaching his first semifinal of the 2026 season.
The victory meant more than a semifinal spot for Sen. Just a year ago, Shifeng had ended the Indian’s campaign in Birmingham at the 2025 quarterfinal stage. This time, however, Sen turned the tables, defeating the world No. 6 in straight games 21-13, 21-16.
Sen began the match ina dominating fashion, quickly racing to a 10-4 lead in the opening game. Shifeng tried to fight back and closed the gap to 15-12, but Sen responded with a burst of six consecutive points to seal the first game.
The second game saw Shifeng attempt a different strategy, engaging Sen in longer rallies to test his stamina. The rallies grew increasingly demanding, but Sen remained determined, holding a narrow 11-10 advantage at the mid-game interval.
A brilliant moment at 16-13, where Sen produced an impressive backhand retrieval and followed it with solid defensive play, proved to be the turning point. From there, the Indian took control and did not look back.
Speaking after the win, Sen acknowledged the challenge posed by his opponent and expressed satisfaction with how he handled the match.
LAKSHYA SEN INTO THE SEMIS 💥
Lakshya Defeats 6th Seeded Chinese Player Li Shi Feng In Straight Games 21-13 , 21-16
Lakshya Will Play His 3rd SemiFinal At All England Tomorrow ❤️
SF Against Koki Watanabe / Victor Lai
📹 : BWF YT#AllEnglandOpen2026 https://t.co/xCuByAUu1f pic.twitter.com/2JEagYyueT— Badminton Media (@BadmintonMedia1) March 6, 2026
“Happy with the way I played both the sets and also credit to him (Shifeng), he played a really solid game. There were some long rallies, both of us were getting tired, but yeah, happy with the way I stuck in there even after the long rallies,” Sen said.
“My coach was also saying just be extra prepared after long rallies because even he is tired, so just don’t give any easy mistakes.”
“I’m happy with the way I’m moving on court, and now it’s time to recover so that I can move well tomorrow.”
The win marks Sen’s third semifinal appearance at the All England Open, one of the most prestigious tournaments in badminton. He reached the final in 2022, where he finished as runner-up.
With this victory, Sen also edges ahead in his head-to-head record against Shifeng, now leading 8-7.
His run in Birmingham has been one of the best in his career from the start. In the opening round, Sen produced a morale-boosting win over defending champion Shi Yuqi, securing a hard-fought 23-21, 19-21, 21-17 victory against the Chinese star, a player he had never beaten before.
In the Round of 16, Sen overcame Ng Ka Long Angus in another intense three-game contest, eventually dominating the decider 21-10 after splitting the first two games 21-19, 21-23.
Sen will now face Victor Lai in the semifinal on Saturday, March 7, as he continues his quest for his maiden All England title.
He is now the only Indian left in the tournament, after Ayush Shetty, Unnati Hooda, Malvika Bansod, and India’s women’s doubles and mixed doubles pairs were eliminated earlier.
