Star Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen and promising talent Tharun Mannepalli advanced to the men’s singles semi-finals at the Macau Open Super 300 badminton tournament after registering hard-fought wins here Friday.

The 23-year-old Mannepalli, ranked 47th in the world, showcased speed and a versatile shot selection to edge out China’s World No. 87 Hu Zhe 21-12, 13-21, 21-18 in a 75-minute battle.

This marks Mannepalli’s maiden semi-final appearance at a BWF Super 300 event. He had previously reached the quarter-finals at the German Open in February.