Resilient Lakhsya edges Zii Jia in suspenseful semi-final

Back to you: India’s Lakshya Sen returning a shot to Lee Zii Jia in the semi-final match. — AFP

PETALING JAYA: It took a resilient Lakhsya Sen of India to dethrone defending champion Lee Zii Jia in the All-England.

A confident Zii Jia had looked good to make his second consecutive final after taking an 18-16 lead in the rubber game but the 20-year-old Lakhsya’s dogged determination in the crucial stage paid off as he marched into his first final with a 21-12, 12-21, 21-19 win in Birmingham.