SportsBadminton
Lakshya Sen beats Jonatan Christie to win Hylo Open and complete an Indian double in Saarbrücken
The Indian took the men's singles final 21-17, 21-10 against an opponent who had beaten him in three of their four previous meetings, hours after PV Sindhu won the women's title at the same Super 500 event.
Key points
- Lakshya Sen beat Indonesia's Jonatan Christie 21-17, 21-10 in the Hylo Open final.
- Christie had won three of their four previous meetings.
- PV Sindhu's women's title made it an Indian double in Saarbrücken.
Lakshya Sen won the Hylo Open men’s singles title in Saarbrücken on Sunday evening, beating Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie 21-17, 21-10 in a final that turned into a procession in the second game.
The win completed a memorable Indian double at the Super 500 event in Germany. PV Sindhu had taken the women’s title earlier in the day, so India left Saarbrücken with both singles crowns.
The result was all the sweeter given the history. Christie had beaten Lakshya in three of their four previous meetings, though the Indian had won the one that mattered most, at the Paris Olympics.
How the final was won
Lakshya came out quickly and led 8-4. Christie fought back to 9-8, but a generous net cord put the Indian ahead again and he pulled away to 16-10 and then 18-12. A service error from Christie gave Lakshya three game points, and the Indonesian netted to hand him the opener.
The second game was one-way traffic. Lakshya led 6-3 and was four points clear at the interval. Late on, a line call by Christie was overturned on video review, giving Lakshya 10 championship points at 20-10. He needed only the first, as Christie found the net again.
The title adds to a career that includes Commonwealth Games gold in 2022 and an Australian Open win. Lakshya had finished runner-up at the Hong Kong Open in 2025 and at the All England Championships earlier this year. This time there was no stumble at the final hurdle.