Thomas Cup 2024: Lakshya Sen’s defence shines through even as India’s title defence ends at the hands of China | Badminton News

Lakshya Sen’s celebratory racquet-flip at the end of a match is usually reserved for special wins. In the bigger picture, India’s Thomas Cup defence didn’t last much longer on Thursday in Chengdu after he roared in delight in front of his teammates. So perhaps it won’t rank as something extraordinary in his career. But right then and there, it was a big moment as he defeated his old pal Li Shi Feng after an exemplary fightback to give India hope.
Lakshya defeated the 2023 All England champion and world No.6 13-21 21-8 21-14 in the third match of the quarterfinal between India and China. India’s title defence ended early but, when the dust settles on the disappointment, Lakshya’s defence-driven win against Li will go down as a significant shot in the arm.
In the opening game, Lakshya admitted he was bogged down the thought of India trailing 0-2 in the tie. While he was playing from the faster side (supposedly the harder half to play from), Lakshya still made a good start but suddenly mid-game, his level fell off a cliff. One of the concerns to address for Lakshya and his team is losing a bunch of points at a stretch when there is a dip in his gameplay. It was one of the main reasons for his recent slump, and while that may be a thing of the past, it could come back to haunt him. Lakshya led 12-9 but lost the opener 13-21.
The Indian soon hit the reset button, getting back to the matter at hand. He focused on what he does best. When Lakshya is playing well, he is defending well. His ability to cover dance diagonally on the court, his diving retrievals, and most of all, the speed with which he gets back up… all of it adds up to a thrilling spectacle.
Change of tactics
Lakshya started tiring out Li, who was showing his frustration after long rallies that didn’t go his way and after a point of time, he had written off the second game. The start of the decider was once again tight, but Lakshya switched the tactics now, and started charging to the net at every chance he got.
“The moment the second game started, I just wanted to take this match to the third game. In the first, it kind of was playing in my head that we were down (0-2 in the tie) and that it was a do-or-die situation. From juniors, we have played against each other a lot. Today the conditions were a bit tricky,” Lakshya told BWF later.
“From the slower end, I just tried to retrieve as many shots as I could and maybe extend the game a little bit more. Then in the third, it was important for me to get a good start. I knew the strategy was going to be very different in the third because it was not a very tiring first two games. Both of us were still really fresh and could really push the pace in the third. So I tried to play sharper strokes and control the net,” he added.
Twice in a few months now, Lakshya has beaten a top Chinese player in his backyard in a team event (after Shi Yuqi at the Hangzhou Asian Games). His form upswing from the European circuit and his display against Li point to an athlete entering a good space ahead of Paris 2024. The chinks are there to be addressed, and it wasn’t enough to help India to the Thomas Cup podium. But when Lakshya gets down to defend with everything he’s got, he’s a menace to anyone on the other side of the net.