Lakshya Sen on Wednesday stormed into the men’s badminton singles Round of 16 in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. The encounter against Indonesia’s Jonathan Christie was considered the most crucial one for Sen but the latter thumped the third-seeded shuttler 21-18, 21-12 to storm into the next round.
The All England defending champions took off with a healthy lead but Sen fought back and had a narrow 11-10 lead going into the break in the first game. The Indian shuttler continued his momentum to register a 21-18 win.
Sen engaged Christie in fast and flat exchanges to move to 14-12, and the latter slowed down the pace with a gruelling rally, which he won with a push at the backline.
The Indonesian drew parity at 16-16 with a precise cross-court smash, which a diving Sen couldn’t reach and soon eked out a two-point lead at 18-16. A straight smash from Sen was followed by a wide smash from Christie, and it was 18-18. A perfect flat push and then an incredible behind-the-back return in the middle of the next rally gave Sen game point and he converted it easily to earn the bragging rights.
The second game was no less dramatic. After the change of sides, Sen made some judgment errors at the backline as the two were tied 3-3. But the Indian kept peppering the backcourt with his pushes and smashes and played at a high tempo. His reflex defence was also rock solid as he moved to 10-5.
Another error from Christie, and it was a five-point advantage for Sen at the halfway mark. The Indian kept his opponent at bay with a barrage of strokes and didn’t allow him to come to the net. The Indonesian made too many errors in desperation, missing the lines often as Sen moved to 18-12. Another flat exchange ended at the net as Sen inched closer to the line.
Another long rally ended with a long shot for the Indonesian as Sen grabbed eight match points and when the Indonesian sent another to the net, the Indian rejoiced.
Sen is likely to face compatriot HS Prannoy in the pre-quarterfinals. Prannoy will face Vietnam’s Le Duc Phat later in the day.
Sen had defeated Kevin Cordon, a Tokyo Olympics semifinalist, in the opening Group L match on Sunday which was “deleted" after his Guatemalan opponent pulled out due to a left elbow injury.
A gold medallist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Sen beat Julien Carraggi of Belgium before facing Christie. The only time the Indian had defeated Christie was four years ago at the Badminton Asia Team Championships and came into this match with a dismal 1-4 head-to-head count.
(With PTI Inputs)
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