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Lakshya Sen beats Toma Junior Popov to reach Hylo Open 2026 final

The Indian shuttler won 21-17, 21-13 at the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken.

By , Sports writer

· 2 min read

Toma Junior Popov
Toma Junior Popov (file photo) Photo: Nardisoero / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Lakshya Sen defeated France's Toma Junior Popov 21-17, 21-13 in the Hylo Open 2026 men's singles semifinal. He will face Anders Antonsen or Jonatan Christie in the final.

Key takeaways

  • Lakshya Sen won 21-17, 21-13 against Toma Junior Popov
  • The match took place at the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken, Germany
  • Lakshya led 11-6 at the interval of the first game
  • He will play Anders Antonsen or Jonatan Christie in the final
  • This is Lakshya's second major final of 2026

Lakshya Sen defeated France's Toma Junior Popov 21-17, 21-13 in straight games in the Hylo Open 2026 semifinal at the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken, Germany, on Saturday to reach the men's singles final.

The victory avenged his 2025 China Open loss to Popov and marked his second major final of 2026 after finishing runner-up at the All England Open earlier in the year. The win also put him within one victory of another major title.

Match details

Lakshya won a hard-fought opening game 21-17 after a lengthy, physical battle in which both players traded points.

He made a solid start and led 11-6 at the mid-game interval, dictating the pace and keeping Popov pinned to the backcourt with deep lifts and quick interceptions at the net.

After the restart, Lakshya maintained his intensity using sharp, flat drives and body smashes to keep Popov moving. His court coverage allowed him to retrieve deep shots and turn defensive situations into quick counter-attacks.

In the second game, Lakshya began strongly with a 4-2 advantage before pulling away to seal the contest 21-13.

Playing styles

Lakshya relied on his court coverage, explosive pace and stamina to thrive in longer rallies. His sharp net play and deceptive drops moved Popov around the court, while his ability to turn defence into attack with blistering cross-court smashes proved decisive.

Popov attempted to use his height to break through Lakshya's defence, relying on powerful clears and steep smashes from the baseline. He also tried to shorten rallies by forcing errors but gave away cheap points with shots into the net under Lakshya's sustained pressure.

The head-to-head record between the two players stood at 2-2 before the semifinal, with Popov having won their most recent meeting in straight games at the 2025 China Open.

What happens next

Lakshya will face either top seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark or fourth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the final on Sunday. The Hylo Open is a BWF Super 500 tournament held at the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken, Germany.

Lakshya is an Indian badminton player who has won bronze at the World Championships and gold at the Commonwealth Games, and finished fourth in men's singles at the 2024 Olympics after losing the bronze medal match.

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