Lakshya Sen is the Indian flagbearer in the men's individual category in the ongoing Canada Open at the Markin-MacPhail Centre in Calgary, between July 4 to July 9.
Despite the early exits of Parupalli Kashyap and B Sai Praneeth, Sen has remained unfazed and has been in top form in the competition.
After finishing third in the Thailand Open, earlier in June, he might bag his first gold this year after he managed to reach the final of the Canada Open.
TSN takes a look at the route to the final of Sen in the Canada Open 2023.
How has Lakshya Sen performed at the Canada Open 2023?
Sen had a defiant start to the tournament as he beat second seed Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-18, 21-15 in a match that lasted just 38 minutes.
The opening victory pumped his confidence that helped him brush aside Brazil's Ygor Coelho 21-15, 21-11 in the round of 16 in just over half an hour.
In the quarter-finals, he was challenged by German qualifier Julien Carraggi who handed a tough time to the Indian. Although he had little trouble in winning the first 21-8, he lost concentration and allowed his opponent to draw level in the match by losing the second game 17-21. In the decider, he regained his composure and took back control to win the match, 21-8, 17-21, 21-10.
In the semi-finals, he was up against Japan's Kenta Nishimoto. After getting the better of Viditsarn in the opener, he beat another formidable opponent in straight games, 21-17, 21-14 to secure his place in the final.
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| Round of 32 | K. Vitidsarn | 21-18, 21-15 |
| Round of 16 | Y. Coelho | 21-15, 21-11 |
| Quarter-finals | J. Carraggi | 21-8, 17-21, 21-10 |
| Semi-finals | K. Nishimoto | 21-17, 21-14 |
MORE: PV Sindhu Canada Open badminton 2023: Results, schedule
What next for Lakshya Sen?
In the finals, Sen will face Chinese shuttler Li Shi Feng. Against him, the Indian has a favourable 4-2 head-to-head record. In their last meeting at the Thailand Open, Sen beat him 21-17, 21-15.
However, he can hardly afford to take the fifth seed lightly as Shi Feng had earlier won the All-England Open in March.
Where to watch the Canada Open 2023 final between Lakshya Sen and Li Shi Feng in India?
The Canada Open 2023 men's singles final will be available for streaming on the Badminton World Federation’s official YouTube channel, BWF TV and Jio Cinema. The event will be telecast live on Sports18 as well.
| Event | TV Channel | Live Stream |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Open 2023 | N/A | BWF TV |
When will the Canada Open 2023 men’s singles final between Lakshya Sen and Li Shi Feng take place?
The Canada Open 2023 men's singles final between Lakshya Sen and Li Shi Feng is scheduled to take place at 12:50 AM IST (Sunday night) on June 10.