Birmingham [UK], March 7 (ANI): Lakshya Sen became only the second Indian player to reach two All England finals when he overcame Canada's Victor Lai in a gruelling semifinal here on Saturday.

The 24-year-old, who had also reached the summit clash in 2022, not only overcame a spirited Lai but also blisters in his right toe to win 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 in an hour and 37 minutes.

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Sen's mentor, Prakash Padukone, had reached the All England final in 1980 and 1981 and won the title in his first appearance in the summit clash, according to a release.

The semifinal clash on Saturday between Sen and Lai tested the physical endurance of both players as they engaged in multiple rallies that went beyond 50 strokes.

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It was Sen's ability to find an extra gear that helped the Indian take the opening game, which stayed neck-and-neck till 17-16. Sen then took four straight points to draw first blood.

But Lai, the first Canadian player to win a BWF World Championships medal, bounced back in the second game and took an 11-7 lead at the mid-game interval.

Sen, who was by then struggling with blisters, fought back to draw level at 16-16, only for Lai to once again pull away and take the match in the decider.

The 24-year-old's experience meant that he at times took calculated risks to take a sizeable 15-9 lead. However, Lai is known for fighting till the end, and he managed to close the gap at 17-15 before Sen once again won four straight points to reach the final.

In the summit clash, he will face India Open champion Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei after the left-hander packed off second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand 21-14, 18-21, 21-16 in an hour and 18 minutes. (ANI)

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