Lakshya Sen Overcomes Chou Tien Chen in Epic Clash, India Lead Thomas Cup Quarterfinal

In a match that swung wildly till the final points, Lakshya Sen produced a stunning comeback , saving two match points to outclass world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen and give India a 1–0 lead in their Thomas Cup quarterfinal against Chinese Taipei on Friday.

Lakshya turned the opening singles into a test of nerves and resilience , winning 18-21, 22-20, 21-17 in a gruelling 1 hour 28 minute battle at the Thomas Cup Finals .

Chou started strong and controlled the first game, recovering from an early deficit to take the lead after Lakshya briefly went ahead 15-10. The experienced shuttler used sharp placement and pressure play to turn the game around.

The second game brought the turning point of the match . Trailing 13-17, Lakshya responded with four straight points to level up. Chou then reached two match points , but Lakshya showed remarkable composure under pressure, saving both before edging ahead to force a decider.

In the final game, the momentum fully shifted. A visibly tiring Chou struggled to match Lakshya’s intensity, while the Indian shuttler moved into an 11-7 lead at the interval and maintained control with disciplined rallies and smart shot selection to seal a memorable win.

With this result, the head-to-head between the two remains closely poised, but Lakshya’s victory stood out for his mental strength in crunch moments.

India will now aim to build on this momentum when the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty take the court next in the high-stakes tie.

Remaining matches will feature Kidambi Srikanth in singles along with the doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and M R Arjun as India eye a place in the semifinals.