Badminton
German Open 2022, Finals LIVE: Lakshya Sen bags silver medal — Scores, Updates, Medal, Blog
Lakshya Sen took on Kunlavut Vitidsarn in a closely-contested final but it was the Thai player who had the last word, winning the German Open 2022 in straight sets. Lakshya Sen settles for silver.
Hello and welcome to the live blog of The Bridge from the finals of the German Open 2022!
Indian badminton ace Lakshya Sen took on Thai sensation and World No. 20 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the Men's Singles finals of German Open 2022. In a true battle of equals, both the 20-year-old's sparred off in good style, with strong attacks coming from both sides till an unruly blister played big bother for Lakshya Sen.
Eventually, Lakshya Sen had to settle for silver even though he put up a great fight against Vitidsarn who claimed the German Open title.
However, this is the perfect start Sen needed for the All England Open week that is coming up next!
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Live Updates
- 13 March 2022 3:16 PM GMT
And guess what, Lakshya and Vitidsarn are on court, brace onto your seats!
And players are on court!
We are about to start with the match - Lakshya will be the one to open serve against the 3-time World Junior champion, Vitidsarn!
- 13 March 2022 3:05 PM GMT
What a ripper of a match this was but it isn't the day of the Stoeva sisters, no matter the hard work!
The Chinese pair persist and get the better of the Stoeva sisters but my god, was that a battle.
The atmosphere is SET now for the men's doubles featuring Lakshya and Kunlavut, coming up next!
- 13 March 2022 2:39 PM GMT
Before we get into the Men's Singles, there is a heated Women's Doubles final on!
The Women's Doubles clash between the Chinese pair of Chen Qing Chen/Jia Yi Fan and the Stoeva sisters - Gabriela and Stefani have turned into a full-on thriller!
The Chinese pair took the first set but a wonderful comeback from the Stoeva sisters in the second has taken the match into a decider.
The scoreboard should be able to predict the mad drama here on this court with crazy rallies being contested with both pairs keeping the heat up!
- 13 March 2022 2:15 PM GMT
A bit of flashback then...
The first time Lakshya Sen and Kunlavut Vitidsarn squared off, it ended in a picture like this!
Let's hope today plays out similarly, as well!
- 13 March 2022 2:06 PM GMT
Lakshya Sen vs Kunlavut Vitidsarn clashes have always been heated!
The last meeting between the two took place at the Hylo Open in 2021 which also saw a lot of fireworks between the two as the match went to a decider, again.
In fact, their first meeting was also pretty memorable as it happened at the finals of the Badminton Asia Junior Championship in 2018, where Lakshya had the last word and won the gold medal there!
At the stage of the finals today at the German Open 2022, you can expect no less as the two get ready to lock horns in just a few minutes now!
- 13 March 2022 1:57 PM GMT
But before we get into that...let's show you why our money is on Lakshya Sen!
Recording the biggest win of his career Lakshya Sen pulled off a phenomenal comeback in the decider against Axelsen and put up a show that was a full-fledged teaser for the nerves!
Here you go, relive the magic from yesterday as we gear up for some more:
- 13 March 2022 1:52 PM GMT
Both Lakshya and Vitidsarn have split their wins equally so far...
Interestingly, both 20-year-olds, Lakshya Sen and Kunlavut Vitidsarn have a neat rivalry already, with a history dating back to their not-too-ancient junior days.
Both Lakshya and Vitidsarn have met each other six times so far and both have won thrice, levelling their head-to-head at 3-3.
On their 7th meeting, it'll be curious to see who gets the better of the other.
Our money is of course, on Sen after phenomenal performances against Ginting, Prannoy and finally, Axelsen at the German Open 2022.
However, Vitidsarn is not to be underestimated, a 3-time World Junior champ as he is, and even here, he saw off an in-form Lee Zii Jia, the All England champ in the semis to set up the date with Lakshya!
- 13 March 2022 1:48 PM GMT
The sparks are ready to flare, are you ready?
All eyes will be on Lakshya Sen after the youngster produced a stunning performance against World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen in the semi-finals and ousted the Olympic champion in a match that went the full length!
Today, in the finals of the German Open 2022, Sen will cross paths with a very familiar but fierce foe from Thailand in the form of Kunlavut Vitidsarn.