Lakshya Sen enters Hylo Open 2026 final, beats Toma Popov in straight games in semis

File Photo: Lakshya won a hard-fought first game 21-17, after a long, physical battle as both players traded points. Lakshya began the second game strongly with a 4-2 advantage and ultimately sealed the contest.. | Photo Credit: PTI

Lakshya Sen defeated France’s Toma Junior Popov in straight games in the Hylo Open 2026 semifinal to advance to the final, at the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrucken, Germany, on Saturday.

The Indian won a hard-fought first game 21-17, after a long, physical battle as both players traded points. Lakshya began the second game strongly with a 4-2 advantage and ultimately sealed the contest with a 21-13 scoreline in the second game.

Lakshya now moves into the final, where he will play top-seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark or Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, the fourth seed for the Hylo Open title.

The semifinal was a contest of contrasting styles, with Lakshya relying on his court coverage, explosive pace and stamina to excel in gruelling rallies, using sharp net play and deceptive drop shots to wear Popov down before converting defence into blistering cross-court smashes.

Lakshya made a solid start to the opening game against Popov and led 11-6 at the mid-game interval of the first game.

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He dictated the pace, keeping the Frenchman pinned to the backcourt with sharp lifts and quick interceptions at the net, and took a comfortable five-point cushion into the break.

Lakshya played with high intensity after the restart, using sharp, flat drives and quick body placements to keep Popov moving. The Indian shuttler’s court coverage let him retrieve deep lifts and turn defence into quick counter-attacks at the net.

Popov tried to use his height, launching powerful high clears and steep baseline smashes to break through Lakshya’s defence. He looked to shorten the rallies by forcing errors, but the Frenchman gave away a few easy points into the net under Lakshya’s relentless pressure.