India’s breakthrough Olympic star Lakshya Sen lost to World Junior Champion Hu Zhe’an 19-21, 19-21 in the men’s singles semi-finals at the King Cup International Badminton Open 2024 in China on Saturday.
The match looked evenly matched but the 18-year-old held his nerves in both games to edge ahead and close the match.
The Chinese teenager had upset former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the opening round. He will face Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, who beat French player Alex Lanier 21-15, 21-13 in the other semi-finals clash, in the final.
This is the inaugural edition of the King Cup badminton tournament, launched by two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China. The tournament features a men’s singles competition with eight players in the fray.
The King Cup International Badminton Open does not offer ranking points and is not a part of the BWF calendar.