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India's campaign at the All England Open has now drawn to a close. A difficult Friday saw Lakshya Sen lose his quarterfinals, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand fell short in their match.
First up today was Sen, as he took on sixth seed Li Shi Feng. The Indian had led a strong campaign in Birmingham all week, which included a straight games win over defending champion Jonatan Christie yesterday.
However, Feng was the stronger shuttler today. The Chinese dominated the first game in every manner, clinching an easy 21-10 win. The second game saw Sen put up a stronger fight, but in the end, it wasn't enough. Feng eventually emerged on the other side 21-16, sealing his spot in the semifinals in just 45 minutes.
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Up next at the Super 1000, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand got down to business on court one, battling World No.2 Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning. Like Sen, Jolly and Gopichand had put up consistently impressive performances over the past week, but were outfoxed by their opponents today.
Shu and Ning looked comfortable on court, and despite a few advances from their Indian counterparts, the duo were able to walk away with a 21-14, 21-10 victory in 46 minutes.
With this, India's campaign at the All England Open has drawn to a close, and the nation's hunt for a top of the podium finish at the prestigious event continues.
Who was the last Indian to win the All England Open?
Over the storied history of the All England Open, only two Indians have lifted the trophy at the event. The first to do so was Prakash Padukone, who beat Lene Køppen at the 1980 edition to claim India's maiden victory at the event.
Over two decades later, Pullela Gopichand gave Indian badminton enthusiasts something to cheer about, when he beat Gong Zhichao to lift the 2001 trophy.
Since then, despite the nation producing multiple World and Olympic medalists, no Indian shuttler has been able to win the All England Open.
