In a rare and historic showdown at the Paris Olympics 2024, India’s top badminton players, Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy, will face each other in the men’s singles round of 16. This high-stakes match will determine who advances to the quarterfinals and who will exit the tournament.
Lakshya Sen, unseeded in this tournament, has made a remarkable run to the round of 16, highlighted by his impressive victory over third-seeded Jonatan Christie. Sen staged a comeback from a 4-0 deficit in the first game to win 21-18, 21-12, demonstrating his resilience and skill. Despite a poor record against Christie, Sen’s performance in this match was exceptional. ‘I’m happy with the way I played,’ Sen said. ‘Gold is definitely in sight, and I’ve been in good shape lately. I’m pumped up to fight every match and point.’ says Lakshya.
HS Prannoy, meanwhile, navigated his path to the round of 16 with relative ease, defeating Fabian Roth of Germany and Le Duc Phat of Vietnam. Prannoy won against Roth in straight games, 21-18, 21-12, and overcame Phat in a three-game battle, with scores of 16-21, 21-11, 21-12.
The two Indian stars have faced each other seven times before, with Lakshya Sen holding a slight 4-3 advantage. Their most recent match was at the India Open in January 2023, where Sen triumphed 21-14, 21-15.
