Lakshya Sen survived a first round scare at the BWF World Championships, recovering from the loss of the opening game to storm past Austria’s Collins Valentine Filimon and reach the second round. The 14th seed, one of India’s genuine medal hopes on home soil, produced a dominant response after a shaky start, winning 16-21, 21-8, 21-4 in a 45 minute contest at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
A nervy opening
Sen’s campaign got off to a concerning start. The 25 year old, competing in front of a home crowd with the weight of expectation on his shoulders, struggled to find his rhythm in the opening game, and the unheralded Austrian took full advantage.
Filimon, who raced to a 17-12 lead with a run of six consecutive points, held his nerve to close out the first game 21-16 in just 15 minutes. The home favourite had been uncharacteristically error prone, and the mood inside the stadium shifted from anticipation to anxiety.
Sen later explained the cause of his early struggles. “There was wind and drift in the stadium and my net shots were not travelling. I was a little apprehensive about the power to put on the shot,” he revealed.
The tactical shift
The change of ends transformed the contest. Sen found the better side of the court, and with it, his confidence. The two shuttlers were tied at 7-7 early in the second game, but the Indian began to assert himself, using his smashes and deceptive shots to build an 11-8 lead at the interval.
From there, Sen was unstoppable. He reeled off ten consecutive points to take the second game 21-8, having completely neutralised the threat that had troubled him in the opener.
The decisive third game was a procession. Sen came out aggressively and immediately put distance between himself and his opponent, racing to an 11-1 lead at the interval. Filimon had no answer, and Sen closed out the match 21-4, completing a remarkable turnaround in just 45 minutes.
Sen’s own assessment
After the match, Sen was candid about the adjustments he had made. “In the first set, I was playing very short. When I was going for drives, I wasn’t getting any points because he’s tall and he can easily play those shots. In the second set, I knew I’m on a better end, so I could play my game freely,” he explained.
The tactical shift, from trying to play through his opponent to engaging him in longer rallies, proved decisive. “I got my opponent in the rallies and that’s where I started dominating,” Sen added.
The Indian also took time to praise his young teammate Ayush Shetty, who had stunned world number one Shi Yu Qi in the opening round. “Yes, I saw the match and it was a great victory. We were all supporting Ayush to win and he did great. I wish him luck for the coming matches,” Sen said.
The road ahead
Sen now faces Garret Tan of the United States in the second round, after the American defeated Switzerland’s Tobias Kuenzi. It is a winnable match for the Indian, who will be expected to progress further in front of his home crowd.
The bronze medallist from 2021 will be determined to end a four year wait for a second World Championships medal, and his comeback victory over Filimon, while not the smoothest of starts, demonstrated the resilience and adaptability that will be required in the later rounds.
A strong Indian showing
Sen’s victory was part of a broader Indian success on the opening days of the championships. Ayush Shetty’s stunning upset of Shi Yu Qi was the headline act, while PV Sindhu began her campaign with a comfortable straight games win.
The women’s doubles pairing of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also impressed, shocking the 16th seeds to advance. Unnati Hooda made a winning start as well, underlining the depth of the Indian challenge on home soil.
The only disappointments came in the mixed doubles, where both Indian pairs bowed out in the opening round after hard fought matches.
A nation’s hopes
The BWF World Championships in New Delhi represent a rare opportunity for Indian badminton to shine on the global stage in front of its own supporters. The sport has enjoyed a golden generation, and the home crowd has embraced the tournament with enthusiasm.
For Lakshya Sen, the first round scare is now behind him. The focus shifts to the second round and beyond, as he seeks to add a second World Championships medal to the bronze he won in 2021.
The home crowd will be firmly behind him, and after his dominant response to adversity on Tuesday, the 25 year old will feel that anything is possible.