India, Aug. 24 -- With nine exits before the third round in 11 tournaments, it has been a forgettable 2025 for Lakshya Sen. The India No.1 has just failed to hit top form, even failing to reach the Macau Open final this month where he was the top ranked.

However, the world No.21 often does well against the best players at the big stage. The 24-year-old must do exactly that at the BWF World Championships as he runs into China's world No.1 Shi Yu Qi in Monday's opening round.

With Viktor Axelsen injured, this is Shi's best chance to emerge champion, coming after a brilliant first half of 2025 that saw him win the Malaysia Open, All England Open, Japan Open and China Open titles. Shi holds a 3-1 record against Lakshya, but has never had it...