Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2018: Lakshya Sen vs Kunlavut Vitidsarn final preview, telecast, live streaming, date, start time and where to watch online

(6) Lakshya Sen (WJR #9) vs (1) Kunlavut Vitidsarn (WJR# 1)

Head-to-head: First meeting

After a disappointing outing in the team event of the Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2018, India has made an impressive turnaround in the individual competition. The success has been possible because of some tremendous display by India’s fast-rising star, Lakshya Sen.

The 16-year-old has dropped just one game in five matches on his way to Sunday’s summit clash. What stands out from Sen’s performance is how confident he has been against his last two opponents, both of whom are ranked higher than the ninth ranked Indian in the world junior rankings.

Li Shifeng and Ikhsan Leonardo Imanuel Rumbay, Sen’s quarter-final and semi-final opponents respectively, are placed at the third and the fifth positions. That did not deter the Indian teenager from attacking with precision and employing his net game to perfection.

The win in the semi-final helped the Uttarakhand shuttler better his 2016 record of winning the bronze as he is now assured of at least the silver medal. This will thus be India’s eighth medal from this prestigious continental championships.

Previously medal winners include Gautam Thakkar (Gold) in 1965, Pranav Chopra/Prajkta Sawant (Bronze) in 2009, Sameer Verma (Silver) and PV Sindhu (Bronze) in 2011, PV Sindhu (Gold) and Sameer Verma (Bronze) in 2012, apart from Sen himself in 2016 (Bronze).

However, the challenge certainly is steep this time. Vitidsarn has not conceded any game so far in this tournament and has been playing like the World No. 1 that he is.

The supremely talented Thai player has already been crowned the champion in four elite junior singles tournaments this year. He would surely be gunning to add more to his kitty. And that itself makes it clear that Sen won’t have any chance if he produces anything other than his flawless best.