Guo xin wa

England Badminton Championship: Top contender Lakshya Sen came back from behind to win against Chinese Taipei’s Su Li-yang even as compatriot H.S. Prannoy crashed out of the prestigious All-England Badminton Championship, losing to Toma Junior Popov of France in straight games in a first-round clash in Birmingham on Tuesday.

It was a mixed day for India as Malvika Bansod progressed to the pre-quarterfinals of the BWF Super 1000 tournament after a hard-fought victory over Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min. In the mixed doubles, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran-Aadya Variyath failed to progress beyond the first round after a 21-6, 21-15 defeat against the People’s Republic of China’s Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui.

It was Lakshya Sen who kept the Tricolour flying after Prannoy's early exit as he advanced to the second round. Lakshya, who slipped five places to 15th in the latest men’s singles badminton rankings, beat Su Li-yang 13-21, 21-17, 21-15 in an hour and 15 minutes.