In a gripping semifinal clash at the All England Open Badminton Championships men’s singles, Lakshya Sen faced a formidable opponent in Jonatan Christie. The match witnessed a sensational 63-shot rally, the longest of the 68-minute encounter, highlighting the intense battle between the two players.
Despite Sen’s relentless smashing, Christie displayed remarkable energy, retrieving almost every smash with unwavering determination. Ultimately, it was Christie who seized control of the rally, executing a brilliant slow drop shot to secure the victory, leaving Sen visibly exhausted.
Although Sen showcased his fighting spirit, delivering thunderous smashes and briefly taking the lead in the third game, Christie’s relentless presence on the court proved too much to overcome. Sen’s valiant efforts were not enough as he succumbed to a 12-21, 21-10, 15-21 defeat, marking his second consecutive semifinal exit.
Reflecting on his performance, Sen acknowledged the fatigue factor as a significant challenge, especially after enduring grueling matches in the pre-quarterfinals and quarterfinals.
“All the matches that I have played were really long and I could feel it in the recovery, in the next day’s match preparation,” Sen said in the BWF mixed zone.
“Some matches, I started really slow in the first game, even having a good lead and then not being able to convert those first-setters that then went on to three games. I won some of those but I know this is one thing that I want to improve: close matches in two games. So that I’m a bit fresher,” he said.
I’m pretty disappointed: Lakshya Sen
Despite the disappointment of the semifinal defeats, Sen remains optimistic about his recent performances, highlighting two consecutive last-four finishes after a challenging period of early exits. Looking ahead, Sen is determined to assess his game and seek guidance from his coaching panel, including Prakash Padukone and Vimal Kumar, to further improve his skills.
“As of now, I’m pretty disappointed with the result. With two good results, after a series of first and second-round exits, surely I have the level to be up there and win in the big tournaments,” Sen expressed.
“I’ll definitely sit back, and discuss with my coaches, try to analyse the two weeks much better because as of now I was just focusing on the next match after every game. Now it’s time to reflect, and watch those matches again. Take good things and keep learning from the mistakes that happen,” Lakshya added.
With the Swiss Open Super 300 on the horizon, Sen is motivated to continue his pursuit of excellence on the badminton court. As he prepares for the upcoming tournament, Sen remains focused on learning from his experiences and striving for success at the highest level of competition.
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