There were rallies more than 50 shots. The highest was energy-sapping 89. It was both physically and emotionally draining. Towards the closing stages of the gruelling battle, India shuttler Lakshya Sen was struggling, limping with cramps and had blisters on his foot. But he put up a brave fight to come out on top on Saturday.
Lakshya channeled his inner spirits to pull off a monumental victory against Victor Lai of Canada in the all-important men's singles semifinal of the ongoing All England Open. The Indian, after countless sapping rallies, was visibly injured during the crucial third game and he was clearly struggling to move. He had a slender lead but he still had a distance to cover. However, Lakshya persevered until the end. The pain seemed to intensify but he just didn't give up. His perseverance paid off as he eventually walked away with a 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 victory at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham.
In the process, Lakshya, who upset World No 1 Shi Yu Qi in the opening round, is now on the cusp of making history. He now has the chance to join a rare club. He can become first to clinch the All England title after Pullela Gopichand, who had achieved the feat in 2001. Way back in 1980, Prakash Padukone had become an immortal figure by becoming the first to achieve the same.
Lakshya later said that he was just looking to stay in the fight. "I was just taking one point at a time and starting of the set, I could feel a bit of cramp. I didn't know if I could all the way. I was trying to fight for every point and didn't think too far ahead," he told reporters.
After 97 minutes of intense battle on the day, Lakshya could finally afford to relax. It had been a see-saw battle with both shuttlers testing each other to the limits. And his celebrations matched the occasion as he let out a roar. The 24-year-old had ticked all the right boxes in a tricky first game that was neck-and-neck until the closing stages, before missing out on the second.
All in all, it was badminton of the highest quality. With the stakes high, the duo was involved in marathon rallies, producing some mind-bending returns to enthrall the crowd. There was a bit of controversy as well in the third game when the score was locked at 4-4. As was the case in the majority of the contest, the duo was involved in an intriguing rally. Lakshya tried to kill the rally with a body smash from close to the net but Lai, displaying his quick reflexes, appeared to have made a return to win a point. But the chair umpire intervened and adjudged it to be a foul, stating the shuttle had tough his body before he hit it with the racquet. The replays appeared to be inconclusive. Lai pleaded his case but Lakshya was handed the point. Given how the tie was at, it was a significant point for the Indian to gain.
From the get go, there were clear signs of a draining match. The opening point itself saw over 50-shot rally. There was nothing to separate between the two as they traded points to make it an intriguing battle. In a game of fine margins, Lakshya, with some strong smashes and good defence, seized the initiative towards the mid-stages before going on to pocket the game.
Lai showed why he is considered to be one of the promising shuttlers with a high ceiling by taking control of the proceedings in the second essay. Lakshya fought back to make it a tight contest but Lai held his nerves to even the tie.
Lai had momentum on his side heading into the third game but very soon, it was Lakshya who took control of the proceedings. Despite the injury concerns, he pulled off some big points before going on to seal the deal.
Chinese Taipei's Lin Chun-Yi, winner of India Open, stands between Lakshya and a historic crown. Playing a little earlier, Lin had upset No 2 seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn, in the other semifinal.
Lakshya has spent over five hours on the court so far in the tournament and the final could be yet another demanding affair. Lin, World No 11, had beaten Lakshya in three games during the India Open. Overall, Lin had 4-0 head-to-head advantage over the Indian.
Lakshya, who has been a different beast in this championship, will be hoping to flip the script.