Defending champion Jonatan Christie crashes out of All England after shock loss to Lakshya Sen
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Jonatan Christie (above) joins Viktor Axelsen and 2023 world championship runner-up Kodai Naraoka as the big-name casualties of the All England.
PHOTO: AFP
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BIRMINGHAM – Indonesian Jonatan Christie’s All England title defence unravelled in 32 minutes on March 13, as he lost 21-13, 21-10 to India’s Lakshya Sen in the second round.
Capitalising on the badminton world No. 2’s slow start, Sen raced to a 6-1 lead in the first game at the Utilita Arena Birmingham and never looked back.
The world No. 15, who reached the final of the 2022 edition, unsettled Christie with his jump smashes and quick reflexes, forcing the 27-year-old into making unforced errors as he sealed a quarter-final spot. The 23-year-old will next meet China’s Li Shifeng, who beat Toma Junior Popov of France 21-18, 17-21, 21-15.
“I don’t know what happened today in this match,” Christie said. “I feel that the shuttlecock was very hard to control and I think it was a little bit windy. I couldn’t control the shuttle and my stroke.
“I made too many mistakes and wasn’t confident enough (during) the first game. I tried in the second game but again, too many mistakes.
“It’s very tough for me (going out as defending champion) because I lost many points in this tournament, but it is what it is.”
Sen credited his approach to the game, saying: “In the beginning it was just about keeping it a certain way and not giving him an easy time, but I was moving quick on court because he was also trying to play fast and I was just trying to contain him, go for the smashes that I can (because) most of the shuttles are coming back, but I was prepared for it.”
Christie joins two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen and 2023 world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn and runner-up Kodai Naraoka as the big-name casualties.
Kunlavut lost 22-20, 21-15 to rising French teen Alex Lanier.
On March 12, Naraoka was beaten 21-13, 15-21, 21-9 by world No. 26 Yushi Tanaka in an all-Japanese encounter, while Axelsen’s quest for a third title here ended as he lost 21-19, 13-21, 21-11 to Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-yi
The 31-year-old Axelsen, one of the favourites to win the tournament, told Danish broadcaster TV2 he would take a break from the sport.
“I didn’t have the best feeling out there. I think it’ll be a while before I’m back on court,” he said. “I don’t want to go into details. I think a longer break is ahead for me.”
The world No. 4 took the All England title in 2020 and 2022, and he has also won the Olympics and world championships twice each.
Lin came out of top after a back-and-forth first game before Axelsen dominated the second.
The Dane was unable to keep that form in the decider, however, as Lin reeled off six points in a row en route to sealing the win.
“If I don’t play my best, everyone can win against me,” Axelsen said.
“Today’s opponent played a fantastic game. It was disappointing but that is how it is.
“I just tried to survive in the match. There is always a lot of pressure when I am here at the All England and every single day, and I got tense when my body was feeling bad and it affected my entire game.”
India’s two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu also made a surprise early exit, bowing out 19-21, 21-13, 21-13 in the women’s singles first round to South Korean Kim Ga-eun.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s world No. 14 Loh Kean Yew defeated Hong Kong’s 19th-ranked Angus Ng 21-15, 21-17 on March 13 to reach the All England quarter-finals for the first time in four outings.
Loh, who had overcome compatriot Jason Teh 21-18, 19-21, 21-16 in the first round, will next meet China’s world No. 1 Shi Yuqi, who ousted Chinese Taipei’s ninth-ranked Chou Tien-chen 21-11, 21-19.
Loh is the only Singaporean left in the competition after the first-round exits of women’s singles world No. 12 Yeo Jia Min and 46th-ranked mixed doubles pair Terry Hee and Jin Yujia.
Hee and Jin lost 21-7, 21-9 to China’s Jiang Zhenbang and Huang Dongping, while Yeo fell 21-13, 10-21, 21-17 to 28th-ranked Malvika Bansod of India.
Women’s world No. 1 An Se-young also reached the last eight with a 21-12, 16-21, 21-8 win over Scottish world No. 33 Kirsty Gilmour.
The Paris Olympic champion will next face China’s Chen Yufei on March 14, just five days after defeating the Tokyo 2020 winner in the Orleans Masters final.
Chen beat Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-14, 22-24, 21-10 to book her quarter-final spot.
AFP, REUTERS, XINHUA
