CHENNAI: He has been the talk of the town for the last few months or so. Lakshya Sen, with his sharp rise, has been a revelation on court. With his ninja-like reflexes and powerful jump smashes, he has taken down some of the best in the business in recent months.
Viktor Axelsen (World No 1), Ander Antonsen (3), Anthony Ginting (5), Lee Zii Jia (7), Loh Kean Yew (9). These are some of the names that he has accounted for.
It's mighty impressive given that he's just 20 and still relatively a new face at the higher levels of the senior circuit. Considering his rich junior/youth days, him coming up with a colossal performance on a given day is not a huge surprise. But the performances that he has been delivering while rubbing shoulders with the big boys, having answers for everything that has been thrown at him, his mental fortitude and his problem-solving ability during critical periods of matches is what has been stunning. He fell short in the All England final against Axelsen, the Dane proving to be a cut above, a 21-10, 21-15 badminton clinic.
The seasoned Dane hardly allowed Lakshya to breathe as the scoreline suggested. In fact, Lakshya, who won Worlds bronze last December, never really managed to rack up a series of consecutive points. Whenever he had a chance to kill a point, Dane's superb defensive skills rescued the situation. He also kept pulling Lakshya in all four directions with his variety down both wings. In the end, it was a bit like watching a master versus an apprentice.
But that shouldn't deter Lakshya from what he has done over the last few months. He has gone from a former junior World No 1 to a place in the top 10 with both his physical and mental attributes playing a key role.
That alone promises a bright future. Late last year, he had his medal-winning aptitude during the Worlds. That outing, where he won bronze, bolstered his confidence levels, it is visible in his body language at present. This year he tasted success at the India Open, winning his first Super 500 title. More recently, he had taken down Ginting and Axelsen during his run to the final of the German Open (he eventually pocketed silver).
Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) coach Sagar Chopda, someone who's seen Lakshya evolve as a player over the years, felt that the youngster has matured considerably in recent times and his ability to adjust his game, based on the situation, has helped him become a formidable player against elite opponents.
"Earlier, when he played against Viktor in Denmark (October, 2021), he lost very badly over there. What he has realised is he just can't keep hitting through these players from the very first point. He just can't keep playing an attacking game all the time. He has to be patient, he has to play long rallies and when he gets the chance, he has to go for the kill. That's exactly what he did in the last few matches," Chopda noted.
Taking that lesson in mind, he went on to participate in four European events. Even though he couldn't bring his A-game then, he was making the most of the opportunities, learning. It was a massive lift given that most shuttlers, including Lakshya, had been unable to get match-practice at the highest level due to travel restrictions because of the pandemic in 2020. Missing out on the Thomas Cup squad also spurred him on.
His willingness to learn, unlearn and embrace challenges head-on is something that stands out, according to Chopda. "He is a naturally gifted player and he thrives under pressure. He looks forward to a challenging situation. He enjoys the big stage. Very few people at the elite level possess that mindset. Moreover, he is down to earth," the coach said.
Of late, he has been trying to make his body robust. Shuttlers have a busy calendar and play back-to-back ties without much recovery time. Chopda said that Lakshya has been focussed on that aspect in recent months in the training ground. "It's not that he has made drastic changes in training sessions. He has been following more or less the same routine. He is focussed more on his strength sessions in the last two months. He has had injury issues in the past. How to manage that is quite a challenge and even going forward, that challenge will remain."
Having Yoo Yong-sung, a two-time Olympic medallist (doubles) by his side, has also helped his case. PPBA, who has a dedicated bunch of coaches and support staff looking after Lakshya ever since his salad days, roped him in December. "There are two things. The coach himself is a proven medallist. He knows what a shuttler needs in order to be a success. He knows what attitude is needed, how to keep emotions in check and how to handle crucial moments. Sitting for Lakshya's matches in the last three matches has surely given him a little bit of work."
Off the court, Young-sung, along with Vimal Kumar (also former India national coach) has introduced minor changes. Small changes that could help Lakshya take giant strides. "If we were running twice a week, it is now five times a week. We have 400 and 800m. The duration of the run and the frequency has increased. In regards to on-court, Lakshya has 60 minutes of shadow training or 90 minutes of shadow training as opposed to much lesser times before."
Lakshya's hard work might not have paid off on Sunday but with the promise that he has displayed in recent times, he could go on to challenge for more titles in the months to come.