At the All-England badminton championships’ men’s final last evening (March 20) India’s upcoming star shuttler Lakshya Sen of Alomra, failed to emulate the feats of Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand, but his spirit said he was ready for future comebacks. He lost the final to the best player in the world today, Denmark’s champion Viktor Axelsen 10-21, 15-21 and the fight he put up in the semi-final was not evident.
Sen is just 20, so he has time on his hands. Prakash had won the title at 25 and Gopichand at 27. But on Sunday at Birmingham, Axelsen proved too tall, physically and talent-wise, for the young Indian.
Soon after the start, Sen was trailing 0-5 and though he tried, the World No. 1 and Olympic champion Axelsen was proved better from the baseline as well at net dribbles. Axelsen’s smashes are proverbial, well exceeding 400kmph.
Sure Sen threw everything he had at his opponent, even used up his 2 challenges in each game, but the games were never in the grasp of the world junior champion.
Whatever the outcome of last evening, Sen should take the best parts out, develop his game further, get fitter and come back to challenge the Dane again. Remember how PV Sindhu finally got the better of her arch rival (and best friend) Caroilna Marin?
At the All-England badminton championships’ men’s final last evening (March 20) India’s upcoming star shuttler Lakshya Sen of Alomra, failed to emulate the feats of Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand, but his spirit said he was ready for future comebacks. He lost the final to the best player in the world today, Denmark’s champion Viktor Axelsen 10-21, 15-21 and the fight he put up in the semi-final was not evident.
Sen is just 20, so he has time on his hands. Prakash had won the title at 25 and Gopichand at 27. But on Sunday at Birmingham, Axelsen proved too tall, physically and talent-wise, for the young Indian.
Soon after the start, Sen was trailing 0-5 and though he tried, the World No. 1 and Olympic champion Axelsen was proved better from the baseline as well at net dribbles. Axelsen’s smashes are proverbial, well exceeding 400kmph.
