Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2018, Men's Singles, Final: Lakshya Sen vs Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Live Match Updates

L.Sen bt K.Vitidsarn: 21-19, 21-18

Updated: 22 July 2018 13:41 IST - Published: 22 July 2018 11:13 IST

That's it from here folks. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda for more such live coverage!

It was a scintillating performance from the Indian to win a gold for the country at the mega-event after six years and secure his biggest career medal so far. #IndiaontheRise

Championship Point!!

India's Lakshya Sen creates history, as he wins the Asian Junior Championship defeating Junior World no1 21-18 in the second game.

And he return with a strong smash to send his opponent to wrong way as he lands on match point!
Score: 20-18

Sen needs little attention to his finger but he is all set to go.

Indeed he does with a strong halfcourt smash.
Score: 19-17

Sen takes the lead at the crucial moment. Score: 18-17.
Can he hold on to it?

Late drama as Lakshya Sen shows strong character to negate a 3 point lead of the Thai to make it 17-17.

A quick rally in which the Indian prevails, virtue his strong net game. Sen leading 14-13

Both players breathing down each other's neck but it's the Indian World no 9 who is in the lead.
Score: 12-11

A power-packed point from the world no 1 as he seals it with two consecutive smashes to reduce Lakshya's lead to a single point.
Score: 10-9

Lakshya looking much more comfortable than the first game. Score: 9-7; the Indian in lead

A cheeky cross-court drop from Lakshya to surge three point ahead of the Thai shuttler.
Score: 8-5

It's building up to be a closely contested game. Score: 4-4

Both players share equal spoils so far.
Score: 2-2

Time for Game two!!

The sixth seed Indian gets the better of the top seed with yet another well disguised drop to seal the first game 21-19.

And a replay of the previous point as Lakshya reaches the crucial game point. Can he capitalize the chance?
Score: 20-19

SMASHED!!

Lakshya Sen times his smash perfectly as Vitidsarn gets wrong footed and fails to reach it.
Score: 19-19

A well disguised drop from Lakshya as he inch in closer to his opponent.
Score: 17-18

It's looking to go all the way down to the wire.
Score: 17-16, the Thai in lead.

All square so far in game one with the scoreline reading 14-14.

And the Thai in lead once again.
Score: 14-13

An error in judgement for Lakshya as he hits a shot that was headed out while Vitidsarn cashed in on the Indian's mistake to make it 13-13

And Sen in the lead for the first time in the game.
Score: 13-12

Yet another precision point from Lakshya to make it even stevens in game 1.
Score: 12-12

A strong net game from Lakshya as he reduces the deficit to just 2.
Score: 10-12

The World No 1 has taken a healthy lead as he steer clear 5 points of the Indian.
Score: 12-7

Sen tries a down the line smash but his shot is inches wide.
Score: 10-7, Vitidsarn leading.

Vitidsarn makes no mistake as he once again goes ahead.
Score: 8-7

Sen has pulled the game back on level terms. score: 7-7.
Can he take the lead?

What a rally!!
Vitidsarn with a chance to kill the point but Lakshya sen shows great agility but his final drop fails to cross the net as the Thai wins the rally.
Score: 6-4

The Indian world No 9 with a strong crosscourt smash to get his 2nd point.
Score: 5-2

A quick rally in which the Indian prevails. He has finally opened the account.
Score: 3-1

Vitidsarn trying to employ his dominion early with two quick points.
Score: 2-0

Sen serves first.

First Game begins!

The players have walked on to the court and are currently warming up

Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's live coverage of the grand final where Lakshya Sen takes on Junior World #1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the final. Can he pull off an upset and bag the gold medal?

LIVE action coming up, stay tuned.

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).