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Paris Olympics 2024 Badminton: Lakshya Sen narrowly misses out on a medal after going down to Lee Zii Jia in thrilling bronze-medal match

Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen displayed tremendous grit and determination in the men's singles event at the Paris 2024 Olympics but ultimately fell short in a thrilling bronze-medal match against Malaysia's World No. 7 Lee Zii Jia. Despite the 21-13, 16-21, 11-21 defeat, Sen created history by becoming the first men's shuttler from India to reach the semifinals at the Olympics.

The match started with Lakshya Sen taking the initial points, establishing an early lead of 6-2. He extended his lead to 10-4, and he held a commanding 11-5 advantage at the mid-game interval.

Post-interval, the two players engaged in intense rallies that showcased their solid defensive and powerful smashes. Though Lee Zii Jia attempted a comeback, closing the gap to 9-13, Sen regained control and surged ahead to win the first game 21-13.

The second game saw Sen pick up exactly where he left off in the opening game, quickly establishing a 7-2 lead. However, Jia displayed remarkable resilience, leveling the score at 8-8 after a series of impressive shots. The Malaysian continued his momentum, leading 11-8 at the interval.

Post the midgame interval, Lee took his ninth straight point to lead 12-8 before Sen ended his run and made his way back to 12-12. A tight battle took place after, with the Malaysian leading by a couple of points right throughout. Despite Sen's valiant efforts, which included some stunning smashes, Jia edged out a 21-16 win to force a decider.

In the final game, Jia's incredibly aggressive smashes helped him secure an early 6-2 lead. His relentless attack and flawless retrieves extended his advantage to 9-2. Sen, battling through the pain of a bleeding hand attended to by medics multiple times, struggled to keep pace, and at the interval, Jia led 11-6.

After the break, Jia further extended his lead to 15-7 and then 19-10, eventually closing out the game 21-11 to clinch the match and the bronze medal for Malaysia.

Lakshya Sen’s journey to a bronze at the Paris Olympics 2024

World No. 22 Lakshya Sen began his Paris Olympics journey with a victory over Kevin Cordon in his first group-stage match. He continued his impressive form by defeating Belgium’s Julien Carraggi in straight games in the second match. Sen then triumphed over third-seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in a highly contested encounter to top the group.

In the knockout stages, Sen faced fellow Indian HS Prannoy in the pre-quarterfinals. Prannoy, who just recovered from a bout of chikungunya, found it difficult to match Sen’s intensity, resulting in a 21-12, 21-6 victory for Sen.

In the quarterfinals, Sen displayed remarkable resilience to overcome Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen in a thrilling three-game match, winning 19-21, 21-15, 21-12. Despite playing extraordinary badminton in the semifinals, Sen was defeated by defending champion Viktor Axelsen, who won the match 22-20, 21-14.

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