All England Badminton: Pushing the pain barrier; Lakshya sees off Canada’s Lai to reach final

Fighting off blisters in his foot, battling cramps, waving off a yellow card warning, Lakshya Sen found himself within one match of ending India’s 25year wait for the All England title.In an incredible exhibition of mental fortitude, pushing through the pain barrier with smart play, Lakshya downed Victor Lai of Canada 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 in an energy-sapping semifinal that lasted one hour and 37 minutes.Lakshya was not even born when Pullela Gopichand won the All England title in March 2001, but he’s been here before. Sunday will be his second All England final after 2022 but this time it seemed the coming of age of a different kind, perhaps not the kind he would have wished. However, he was not afraid to look it in the eye. Often accused in the past of fading in games that required stern examinations of mettle and endurance, on Saturday, the 24-year-old was banishing all those demons, digging deep and literally playing the final phase of the deciding third set hobbling on one leg.“I was taking just one point at a time,” he would say later, “I was ready for everything because he was playing really well. But towards the end I could connect a few good ones. I was not thinking of taking the next shot and trying to just go 100% attack on the next shot. I am really looking forward to tomorrow now, one day to recover and comeback stronger,” he said. With this epic put to rest, it all depends on how Lakshya will recover and how his team prepares him for another long duel on Sunday where he faces world No. 11, Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei, for the title.Lin ousted second seed and former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semifinals 21-14, 18-21, 21-16 and enjoys a 4-0 win-loss record against Lakshya. On Saturday, long rallies in the first two games would take their toll. The signs were there from the start. The opening point itself saw a 52-shot rally.One rally lasted 86 shots and some went over 60. Even in the first two rounds of the tournament, he had been taken the distance, only to return triumphant. His opening match lasted 78 minutes and the next 81. On Saturday, all these factors hampered the Indian and he struggled to move.At 13-9 in the decider, Lakshya developed cramps and limped off the court. It was the moment that would show Lakshya in a new light. Faced with continuing or retiring — players are not allowed the services of a physio, unlike in other sport — Lakshya chose to play through the pain barrier. “At the start of the third set I could feel cramps. I didn’t know I could go all the way but was just trying to fight every point,” he said.Drained, he relied now on game smarts. His only option was to rely on smash winners. He managed two and increased the lead to 15-9.He then received treatment and was even shown a yellow card for returning late to the court.