After knocking out fifth seed Chou Tien Chen, Lakshya Sen will now lock horns with former BWF World Tour Finals champion Anders Antonsen in the Round of 16 of the All England Open on Thursday, March 14.
Sen's world ranking has taken a hit following his first-round exit from the German Open last week, pushing him down to 19th. This is another crucial week for the 21-year-old as he has a massive haul of points to defend from his runner-up finish at the All England Open last year.
The Indian shuttler has had an underwhelming start to the 2023 season so far. In four BWF World Tour events prior to this week, Sen's best performance remains a quarter-final appearance at the Indonesia Masters.
However, with his statement 21-18, 21-19 win over World No. 5 Chou Tien Chen on Tuesday, Sen showed he is on the right track to make his way back into the top echelons.
Lakshya Sen vs Anders Antonsen: Head-to-head and prediction
Sen has a 1-0 lead over Antonsen in their head-to-head. Their solitary meeting so far came at the same stage of the All England Open last year. The Indian came through 21-16, 21-18 in that clash.
Although Sen has prevailed over the Dane in the past, Antonsen is by no means an easy opponent. His lightning pace and aggressive shotmaking make him one of the most dangerous players to face when he is on song.
Apart from the aforementioned BWF World Tour Finals title, the 25-year-old has also won the Denmark Open and Indonesia Masters titles. He has been a European champion and has a silver and a bronze medal from the BWF World Championships.
However, much like Sen, the Dane, too, hasn't managed to do anything remarkable so far this season. He has failed to reach the last eight in any of the four tournaments he has played in the lead-up to the All England Open.
Antonsen started his campaign in Birmingham with a 21-16, 21-18 win over his compatriot, the 23rd-ranked Rasmus Gemke. Clearly, he needs to be at his sharpest to get the better of Lakshya Sen, who is coming off a huge confidence-boosting win in the first round.
All England Open, Lakshya Sen vs Anders Antonsen: Date and time
Lakshya Sen and Anders Antonsen will square off in the men's singles Round of 16 at the All England Open 2023 on Thursday. It will be the fifth match of the day on Court 2.
Date: March 16, 2023.
Time: Approx 1.30 pm local time, 7.00 pm IST
Venue: Utilita Arena Birmingham
All England Open, Lakshya Sen vs Anders Antonsen: Where to watch & live streaming details
The tournament is being broadcast live in India on Sports18 1 and Sports18 1 HD channels. The matches can also be streamed live on Voot Select.
Live streaming is available on YouTube on BWF.TV as well. Live scores can also be followed on the tournament software.