Rising shuttle star Lakshya Sen and two-time badminton medalist P V Sindhu provided the morning sparkle to India’s Paris 2024 Olympics campaign here today.
Sindhu simply blew away her Estonian Group M opponent Kristin Kuuba 21-5 21-10 in under half an hour for her second straight win in the group to advance to the knockout rounds in the women’s singles.
Taking the same court soon afterwards, Olympic debutant Sen defied odds and rankings to shock world number four Jonathan Christie of Indonesia in two straight games 21-18 21-12 in a rousing 50-minute Group L men’s singles match to advance with his second win in the pool.
It was Sen’s first victory over his more fancied Indonesian rival after four straight losses and it couldn’t have come at a bigger stage.
The 22-year-old Sen, ranked 18th currently in the world, was down 2-8 in the opening game when he picked up his play and turned the match around in spectacular fashion.
He first caught up with his rival at 10-all and then was ahead by one point at the break. The match looked evenly poised at 16-all and 18-all before Sen upped his game to go 19-18 ahead.
The match was replete with long rallies, one of which contained 58 strokes and was marked by the Almora-born Sen with a spectacular behind the back retrieval that rocked his third-seeded opponent and forced him to net the bird soon afterwards.
It helped Sen to go up 20-18 and his opponent then netted the bird to hand over the opening game to the Indian in 28 minutes.
In the second too there was one superb rally of 50 strokes when the Indian youngster led 19-12 after surging ahead comfortably.
The rally ended with the Indonesian hitting the shuttle long to provide Sen with the golden opportunity to close out the match.
Sen did just that when he applied pressure on the Indonesian whose shot failed to clear the net and gave the Indian a well-deserved victory.
“It was a really tough match today. I’m happy with the way I played, especially in the first game. It was crucial (in the ultimate analysis). I took an early lead and found my rhythm quickly, and then it was a matter of a few points at the end and I just stuck in there,” declared Sen after his remarkable victory.
“He started really well with a really attacking game and it took me 5-6 points to figure out what he’s doing. He was trying to just pin me at the back and because he was on the slower side of the court he was just trying to play fast. I figured it out and came back. From then on it was just a matter of keeping that 1 or 2 point lead and then closing out the first game,” he explained further.
“I have played him in some close matches but had not closed them out. I am glad I did that today,” he added.
On playing the acrobatic behind the back shot, Sen said it was not a planned outcome although he had used it during his practice stints.
“It’s something I didn’t plan for; it just happened in the moment and I’m happy it went in. I’ve played it a few times in practice but I wouldn’t play it intentionally at that point.”
Sen is now looking forward to the knockout phase of the competition.
“I’m used to the conditions now and I’m ready for the next matches. My form over the last few months has been really good. I have had ups and downs, but overall I’ve been in good shape in the last few months,” he concluded.
Sen will meet compatriot H S Prannoy if the latter wins his concluding Group K clash against Le Duc Phat of Vietnam later today and tops his group.
Against her Estonian rival, tenth-seeded Sindhu quickly jumped to a 9-0 lead before Kuuba won her first point. The Indian ace later closed out the opening game in 14 minutes.
Sindhu led 19-6 in the second before allowing her opponent to pick up a few points but ultimately she clinched the second too comfortably when her half smash was netted by her European opponent.
Sindhu, who has silver followed by bronze medals in her last two Olympic appearances, is to meet China’s sixth seeded He Bing Jiao in the round of 16.