New Delhi: India went down 0-3 to France in the Thomas Cup semi-finals to claim the bronze medal, their fourth third place finish at the premier badminton event after 1952, 1955 and 1979.

The 2022 champions had beaten Chinese Taipei 3-0 to enter the last four stage but with Lakshya Sen absent with injury, India’s strength in single got depleted.

In the opening singles, Ayush Shetty replaced Lakshya, who nursed a swollen right elbow, and lost 11-21, 9-21 to World No. 4 Christo Popov in 39 minutes.

Former World No. 1 Kisambi Srikanth went down 16-21, 18-21 to No. 10 Alex Lanier in the second singles while

HS Prannoy then was beaten by No. 17 Toma Junior Popov 19-21, 16-21 as France became only the second European countey to reach the final after Denmark’s won their first title in 2016.

Former national head coach Vimal Kumar said Lakshya’s absence left India severely hamstrung against France.

“France completely overwhelmed India today, and Lakshya’s absence was certainly felt at crucial moments.

“For India, this is a moment to regroup and come back stronger. The potential in this team is unquestionable,” he said.

Ayush accepted that he was outsmarted by his opponent.

“I am a bit disappointed with the performance today but Christo played solid. His deception got me off guard, I was not really stable on the foot. I think overall his pace was really high and he was putting the pressure really good,” he said.

“I think my overall game plan was not right, I would say. I think he just outclassed me today.

“I mean the point was to put the pressure on but I think he really pushed the pace and he was not giving me a chance to hit the net.

“I think he dominated the net and the shots were a bit fast today. I think that made the difference,” he added.