Japan Open 2023 HIGHLIGHTS, Lakshya Sen vs Jonatan Christie semifinal: Sen falls to Christie in three-game finish

Jonatan Christie scrapes through after witnessing a dip in the second game. Sen will be disappointed with his third semifinal finish on the year and will have to wait for another summit appearance, despite the highs at the Canada Open.

A sharp cross-court smash from Christie does it. Sen fails to parry it back over the net and Christie marches onto the final!

Final Score: Jonatan Christie beats Lakshya Sen 21-15, 13-21, 21-16

Match point for Christie as Sen fails to see through a fine rally and sends one over the deep service line.

Is that the decisive nail in the coffin? A wide rally and Christie clinches the winner with a sharp smash to the edge of Sen’s corner.

Christe earns a four-point lead but sends a flat smash straight to the net.

Sen hangs onto his defences and induces a false shot across the sideline from Christie.

A deft backhand and cross-courter help Sen reel in a vital point. Still in the hunt.

Sen wobbles at the net once again and sends a chip to the net. A five-point lead for Christie. Can the Indian climb back from this rut?

Sen cuts Christie’s lead to three as he wins a mid-court tussle after four shots.

Christie continues to maintain the lead despite a few brilliant points from Sen.

A feeble service from Christie and Sen lunges for an impressive smash point.

Both players reel in a point each after resumption.

Another smash from Christie brushes the net and Sen fails to chip the shuttler back over. The movement offers a repeat in under 10 seconds and Christie leads 11-7 at the break.

Another unsuccessful challenge from Sen as Christie chips one bang on the sideline.

Sen misses out on a freebie as he draws the jump smash outside the sideline. Crucial few points up ahead.

Christie emerges on top of another flourishing rally. Darts in the half-smash, well past Sen’s reach.

Sen tightens his defence and immediately draws two points to level the game.

Superb from Sen! Excellent reflexes on display as he counters a cross-courer with a gentle chip on the run and it falls within the service line at the other end.

Sen errs in defence and Christie soars ahead for a towering smash through the left.

Christie regains composure as Sen offers a tame return to the net.

Sen takes the opening point in the decider.

Sen closes out Game 2. A fine recovery here from the Indian. He began on an aggressive note despite losing the first game and maintained the rhythm through the second passage of play.

Christie’s levels take a slide as Sen extracts a breezy smash down the left.

Sen builds the lead once again and will be hoping to close this out quickly now.

A 28-shot rally and Sen comes up on top once again. Almost seamless defence from Christie but Sen makes the most of the little room he receives in the air and sends ina fiery cross-court smash to earn a golden point. Meanwhile, Christie takes a short medical timeout to attend to some concern on his left toe.

Christie attempts a cheeky lob at the net but the shuttle teases and falls back from the net onto his half.

Sen topples Christie’s incredible defence with an equally impressive reflex pass to the Indonesian’s right corner. Tenacious rallies on display here.

Christie tightens his defence but Sen stays patient this time and latches onto a fiery smash down the line for his first point after the break.

And just like the previous game, Christie is reeling in quick points after the break. Sen’s aggression thins into a few errors on the sidelines.

Lakshya Sen takes the lead at the break with six consecutive points, topped by a clinical smash down the line past Christie’s stretch to his left.

Sen sizzles Christie with a perfect mix of aggression and pace. The Indonesian fails to muster a response in the opening half.

Three points on the trot and Sen launches a superb cross-courter and follows up with a pacy shot high onto Christie’s racquet.

Sen continues to offer Christie the room and time to launch manic smashes down the line.

A 23-shot rally, the longest of the match so far, and Sen pulls ahead.

Sen takes the early lead with a few aggressive shots.

Christie opens proceedings.

Christie takes Game 1 - 21-15. Excellent recovery after the break as he recorded 12 points since to Sen’s four.

Christie on game point. Sen is unsettled by a shot that passes through after hitting the net.

An unsuccessful challenge from Sen for a shot that passes the long service line and Christie inches closer to sealing the game.

Christie maintains his ascendency with a firm jump smash. Sen’s gameplay has muddled drastically.

Christie continues to break away now with some unpredictable moves up front and back from the service line. He nearly puts Sen off his feet with a swift shot towards the chest.

Stupendous work at the net from Christie as he gently cuts one shot diagonally ove the net. Sen has no chance to make ground for a chip.

Christie surges in confidence and takes the lead for the first time in the game.

Christie draws level at 11 but Sen continues to keep his momentum steady to regain the lead.

Sen fends off two smashes but fails to hold on as the rally grows intense. Attempts to chip one low shot back but fails to temper his shot.

A couple of wavering shots from Christie and Sen regains the lead before the break.

Another tempter from Christie and Sen does not err on the smash this time. He forces Christie to scoop low to his left but he misses the shuttle by a few inches.

Christie draws level as Sen errs on the cross-court jump smash, flying it past the sideline. And Christie pulls himself into the lead.

Christie attempts to claw back but Sen keeps him at bay by drawing some stretching rallies.

Christie draws one past the back line as Sen deftly the speed on his shots.

Sen takes the early lead with a cross-court smash moving low to Christie’s far right. The Indonesian fails to parry it back over the net.

Lakshya opens the serve from the far side and takes the opening point.

Jonatan Christie, the fifth seed, walks out to the main court first. He is followed by Lakshya Sen, the only remaining unseeded player in the draw. Sen wins the toss and elects his side. The players limber up before Game 1.

India’s rising star will be up next in action against Christie in the first men’s singles semifinal.

Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi (Japan) beat Liu Yu Chen/Ou Yang Xi (China) 21-10, 21-15 to reach the men’s doubles final. They will face Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin (Chinese Taipei) for the title.

Lakshya Sen 1-1 Jonatan Christie

The fifth-ranked Christie and Sen have met twice in their respective careers.

In their previous meeting at the Indonesian Masters 2023 in January, Christie scripted a comeback 15-21, 21-10, 21-13 win over Sen in the quarterfinal.

Sen and Christie first met at the Asian Team Championships in 2020, where the Indian trumped the latter with a 21-18, 22-20 win.

The men’s doubles semifinal between Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi (Japan) and Liu Yu Chen/Ou Yang Xi (China) will be next, followed by Lakshya Sen’s semifinal clash against Jonatan Christie. Stay tuned.

Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong script a remarkable turnaround to beat Japan’s Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara 14-21, 21-13, 21-10 in 65 minutes and reach the final.

The fourth-seeded pair will meet the top-ranked Chinese pair, Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fen, in the final.

Lakshya Sen has had a fruitful run this year so far. As he sets eyes on his seventh BWF World Tour final, here’s a look back on his performances this year:

• US Open (July) - SF
• Canada Open (July) - Winner
• Indonesia Open (June) - R16
• Singapore Open (June) - R32
• Thailand Open (June) - SF
• Malaysia Masters (May) - R16
• Swiss Open (March) - R32
• All England Championships (March) - R16
• German Open (March) - R32
• Indonesia Masters (January) - QF
• India Open (January) - R16
• Malaysia Open (January) - R32

• Women’s doubles semifinal: Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan (China) beat Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (Japan) - 21-19, 21-18
• Men’s doubles semifinal: Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin (Chinese Taipei) beat Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Ardianto (Indonesia) - 21-19, 21-10
• Women’s doubles semifinal: Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong (South Korea) beat Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagahara (ongoing) - 14-21, 21-13, 21-10
• Men’s doubles semifinal: Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi (Japan) beat Liu Yu Chen/Ou Yang Xi (China) - 21-10, 21-15
• Men’s singles semifinal: Lakshya Sen vs Jonatan Cristie - next
• Men’s singles semifinal: Viktor Axelsen vs Kodai Naraoka

• R32 - beat June Wei Cheam - 21-7, 21-9
• R16 - beat Honga Yang Weng - 21-15, 21-14
  
• QF - beat Kunlavut Vitidsarn -21-16, 21-16

• R32 - beat Priyanshu Rajawat - 21-15, 12-21, 24-22
• R16 - beat Kanta Tsuneyama - 21-14, 21-16
• QF - beat Koki Watanabe - 21-15, 21-19

Lakshya Sen progressed to the semifinals to be the lone Indian survivor at the Japan Open Super 750 badminton tournament following the ouster of compatriots HS Prannoy and doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Friday.

World number 13 Sen registered a 21-15, 21-19 victory over local player Koki Watanabe, ranked 33rd, to make his third successive semifinals, following his exploits in Canada and the United States.

The reigning Commonwealth Games champion will play fifth-seeded Indonesian Jonatan Christie in the semifinals.

World number 10 Prannoy too could have joined Sen in the last four but he squandered an opening game win and a 7-1 advantage in the second to eventually suffer a heart-breaking 21-19, 18-21, 8-21 loss against world number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark.

A 2021 world championship bronze medallist, Sen, who had won the Canada Open Super 500 early this month, opened up a 5-3 lead early on before moving to 11-7 at the break.

​

The Indian didn’t have much problem negotiating the Japanese and soon sealed the opening game with two cross-court returns on both sides of the court.

After the change of sides, Watanabe tried to inject some pace in the rallies but Sen looked in control and moved to 3-2 with a lovely cross-court drop. A 42-shot rally ended with Sen’s backhand crashing into the net as Watanabe turned it around to lead 5-3 before consolidating it further at 7-3.

The Japanese strengthened his defense and things seemed like going downhill for Sen, who trailed 7-14.

However, the Indian scripted a turnaround, drawing his opponent to the net and using the drop shots to good effect. He soon turned the tables at 18-17 with a cross court smash.

With two returns on his opponent’s backhand, Sen gained one-match point before producing another precise return at the back-line and then threw his racquet in celebration. - PTI

The Japan Open 2023 semifinal between Lakshya Sen and Jonatan Christie will be telecast on the Sports 18 network and streamed on JioCinema from 10:00 AM IST (approx).