World No. 10 Lakshya Sen will lock horns with Tze Yong NG of Malaysia in the men's singles final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Birmingham on Monday.
It has mostly been smooth sailing for the 20-year-old Indian on his CWG debut. The Almora-born youngster has conceded just a solitary game in his four men's singles matches so far. It was against Singapore's Jia Heng Teh in the semi-finals, where he suffered a mid-match collapse before recovering for a 21-10, 18-21, 21-16 win.
Standing between the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy product and the highly coveted gold medal is giant-killer Tze Yong NG. The 22-year-old Malaysian has twice upset former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth at the ongoing Games to make his mark in Birmingham.
His first win came during the mixed team final while his second victory was in the men's singles semi-finals, where Yong earned a 13-21, 21-19, 21-10 win.
Not only that, the World No. 42 also knocked out the reigning world champion, Kean Yew Loh of Singapore, by a 15-21, 21-14, 21-11 scoreline in the quarter-finals.
Lakshya Sen vs Tze Yong NG head-to-head & prediction
Sen has a flawless 2-0 lead over Tze Yong NG in their head-to-head. Their first meeting was at the 2019 Bangladesh International Challenge, where the Indian secured a breezy 21-9, 21-11 win.
Their most recent showdown, at the India Open earlier this year, was way tighter. Sen had to come back from a game down to edge the Malaysian 19-21, 21-16, 21-12.
By dint of ranking and experience at the highest level of the sport, the World Championships bronze medalist is the favorite to come through this clash. However, this is unlikely to be an easy affair for Sen.
Yong has shown tremendous self-belief and fighting spirit throughout his Birmingham campaign with big wins over top players. It remains to be seen how much he has left in his tank for one last hurrah.
Lakshya Sen vs Tze Yong NG: Date and Time
Lakshya Sen will take on Tze Yong NG in the men's singles gold medal match on Monday at CWG 2022.
Date: August 8, 2022; Time: 9:40 am local time, 2:10 pm IST.
Lakshya Sen vs Tze Yong NG: Live Streaming details
Sony Sports Network has the broadcasting rights for the 2022 Birmingham Games in India. Sony TEN 1, Sony TEN 2, Sony TEN 3, Sony SIX, and Sony TEN 4 are telecasting the Games live for Indian viewers.
Live streaming is also available on the Sony LIV app and website.
You can also follow the live coverage of the match here at Sportskeeda.