Lakshya enters last eight, SatChi lose to bow out

'NEVER give up'. That is one of the prominent tattoos that is inked on shuttler Lakshya Sen's left arm. It's the mantra that he has held close to his heart and pulled off numerous memorable wins over the years.

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On Thursday, his fighting spirit was visible through and through in his men's singles contest in the ongoing All England Badminton Championships in Birmingham.

Playing Anders Antonsen (the No 4 seed) in his secondround match, it was expected to be a stiff test of mental strength for Lakshya, who has been on a revival since the last few weeks or so. In the first game, he showed his quality to keep his nose in front in the early phases. Antonsen, as was expected, stepped up and started to dictate the pace of the game. Trailing 13-17, the Dane reeled off five consecutive points to turn the tide in his favour. It was a see-saw battle towards the end but Lakshya retained his composure to ride out the storm.