BWF World Championships: The men’s singles event of the BWF World Championships has seen quite a few big names pull out either due to injury or COVID-19. Out of India’s four challengers, the spat of withdrawals will favour young Lakshya Sen the most. Follow BWF World Championships Live updates on InsideSport.IN
The draw included a first round match against Max Weisskirchen followed by a potential clash against World No 2 Kento Momota in Round 3 and a quarterfinal clash against World No 7 Jonatan Christie.
But now, the major challenge will be World No 17 Kenta Nishimoto in Round 2. The others are beatable according to coach Vimal Kumar.
BWF World Championships: Lakshya Sen might be India’s biggest hope in men’s singles, follow Live updates
Q. The withdrawals favour Lakshya Sen. What will be his biggest challenge at the Worlds?
A. Kenta Nishimoto will be a tough match for Lakshya as this will be the first meeting between the players. It will be tough as the Japanese shuttlers are very tough to beat. Lakshya needs to be at the top of his game. This will be the biggest challenge for him.
Q. His rise has fueled a lot of expectations. How far can he go at this time around?
A. The pulling out of top seeds have certainly helped but no match will be easy at this level. But if we can avoid giving away loose points, then post the Round 2 fixture, the others are beatable. The likes of Kevin Gordon are good players but Lakshya can get past them. With no Jonatan Christie, the round to the quarterfinals looks achievable. Then it is anybody’s game and the player who is at the top of their game on that given day will take the spoils.
BWF World Championships: Lakshya Sen might be India’s biggest hope in men’s singles, follow Live updates
Q. It’s been an extraordinary post-pandemic season with the Worlds being the ninth in 12 weeks. How important is recovery in remaining injury-free?
A. We discussed a lot about recovery. Ice bath recovery is of paramount importance along with regular recovery sessions. Warm up sessions are equally crucial. With the cramped BWF calendar, if a player has to perform to their best, recovery will be the name of the game.
Q. Where does Lakshya Sen rank among the current crop of players? In terms of his mentality, what changes have you asked him to make?
A. Apart from Viktor Axelsen and Kento Momota, rest of the top 15-20 players are more of less of a similar level. That is what I have been telling him. He has experienced success against a few of them already. Lakshya Sen needs to realise he is now a part of the big leagues and change his mindset accordingly. I’m aware that it will take time and it cannot change just like that. While playing in more Super 750, Super 500 events, his mentality has to be to win the title and not just about playing well and maintaining his top 20 status.
BWF World Championships: Lakshya Sen might be India’s biggest hope in men’s singles, follow Live updates
Q. In terms of technique, what are the things Lakshya Sen needs to work on?
A. We have had chats on this and Lakshya Sen knows he needs to add more endurance to his game. He also needs to add more leg strength and work on his stability especially after retrieving a smash. This endurance part becomes important considering the long rallies in today’s matches. He sometimes runs out of steam and cannot recover. It is a continuous process and I’m, sure he will learn.
Q. Your take on the cramped BWF schedule and the numerous injuries to top players.
A. It is especially tough for the best players as their aim is to win all competitions they take part in. They more or less always go deep into events and in the end it can take a toll on the body. For players who bow out early, it can end up being an advantage in future competitions.
Q. What were the major takeaways from Lakshya’s BWF Tour Finals performance?
A. Against Viktor Axelsen, he showed tenacity but in the crucial moments, he couldn’t sustain the pressure. He will learn and he already put in a better show compared to month and a half last time around. The shuttle was also slow in Indonesia, something which does not suit Lakshya. Lakshya likes to approach the net but players tended to push towards the back of the court, and then quickly took advantage from the net.
BWF World Championships: Lakshya Sen might be India’s biggest hope in men’s singles, follow Live updates
Q. Mentally, how is Lakshya Sen now?
A. He was very disappointed about the Thomas Cup and Sudirman Cup snubs. But once Viktor Axelsen called him and the duo trained in Dubai for two weeks, that gave him solace and confidence. We had decent training here in Bengaluru but now he has been on the road for over two months. We chat regularly and my advice to him has always been forget and learn. Forget about world rankings and just play fearlessly.
