Battling painful blisters on his foot and severe cramps, a gritty Lakshya Sen overcame Canada’s Victor Lai to storm into the final of the All England Championships here on Saturday, moving within one win of ending India’s 25-year wait for the prestigious title.

Marathon 97-minute match

It turned out to be one of the finest matches of his career as Lakshya fought for one hour and 37 minutes before sealing a 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 win over the 21-year-old Lai, who had claimed a surprise bronze at last year’s World Championships in Paris.