PARIS: The shuttle was flying past Lakshya Sen.
There seemed to be no way he could have retrieved it. Wrong-footed and tangled up after just about managing to put the shuttle across to Jonatan Christie’s side, the point seemed lost. He seemed ready to submit to inevitability.
Then, all of a sudden, his hand teleported the racquet behind his body in one swift reflex. He managed to not only make contact with the shuttle, but sent it at an awkward angle for Christie. The behind-the-back shot is a rarity in badminton, akin to an overhead kick in football or a shot from between the legs in tennis. If it works out, it looks like a conjuring trick. And work out it did, as Christie's answer flew out of the court. That point, in the first game, crushed his resilience, if there was any left by. It also showed the world what Lakshya is capable of. The crowd went delirious. Lakshya seemed unconquerable.
It had been a draw of contrast for Lakshya and PV Sindhu, but in the end, the games were similar. While Sindhu got a relatively easy draw in her group, Lakshya was clubbed against reigning All-England champion Christie. The game, on Wednesday, was effectively a knockout round.
The stats were stacked against Lakshya with the higher-ranked Indonesian having triumphed four times in their five meetings. But a tough draw has its advantages too. A positive result gives an athlete immense confidence to tide over any adversity. For Lakshya, the Group L matches have lent him belief. The momentum, he remarked after the game, is with him now. Now it was a matter of riding it to a medal.
Lakshya's game started a few minutes after Sindhu was done toying with Estonia’s Kristin Kuuba 21-5, 21-10. The Porte de La Chapelle Arena was packed. There were Indian supporters too. As Sindhu was giving her post-match comments at the mixed zone, Lakshya was down 2-8. The signs seemed ominous, the match looked to be another routine affair for Christie.
The Indian crowd sat in silence as Sindhu gave a quick glance at the screen. Things were not going India’s way. The turnaround started just when Sindhu was showcasing her hands, painted with the Olympic rings, to the cameras. Slowly but surely, Lakshya started to force Christie into errors. The latter's line judgements were awful to say the least and Lakshya was in control. The first game finished 21-18 in Lakshya's favour.
With the advantage firmly with him, Lakshya started attacking Christie relentlessly in the second. The game finished at 21-12 and helped him secure a round of 16 spot where he is expected to meet HS Prannoy (who is playing Vietnam’s Lec Du Phat later in the night). Lakshya had his strategy and he backed it with confidence.
Lakshya started slowly. It took time to figure out Christie’s game and when he realised what he was up to, he started countering with immaculate ease. “He started with an attacking game and it took me five-six points to figure out what he was doing,” he said. Christie tried to upset him in the back. “He tried because he started on the slower side. He wanted to play fast,” he said.
After figuring out Christie’s plan, Lakhsya countered it. Once he started to get a grip on the game, he just wanted to keep that two-point lead to keep his opponent under pressure. That worked. When the draw was out, the talk revolved around Lakshya’s matches. “All the matches were tough and I had to be at my best from Day One. I am happy with the way the momentum is going and hope to carry on with it,” he said after the match. “I have not done well with him, the last few matches we played. I am happy with the win and the revenge too,” he said.
For Sindhu, it was a routine affair. She will meet Chinese sixth seed He Bingjiao in the Round of 16. At the Olympics, one needs to be at their peak, even against weaker opponents and Sindhu knows that well. The knockout rounds will bring their own challenges. “It’s not going to be an easy match and obviously, in the elimination round, you cannot expect easy matches. All the matches will be tough from now on and I need to be at my best,” she said.
But that’s what all athletes prepare for and Sindhu too has done her bit. She has tried quite a few training methods, spent time in hypoxic chambers to help her build endurance and is looking forward to playing smart. Sindhu was quick to congratulate Manu Bhaker. Coming back from an injury has not been easy for her either. She is still in search of a big win and the Olympics could be the stage. “You have to understand the body and how it works. You need to speak with yourself and know what went wrong and what is happening and how it happened. Then you rectify those mistakes and come back strong,” she said.
The next match will be crucial. A good start would see her march into the quarters and then a medal round awaits.