Zenia D'Cunha
Aug 1, 2024, 09:15 PM
Lakshya Sen, unseeded and late entrant to the Race to Paris qualification, is now two wins away for an Olympic medal on debut.
The 22-year-old Indian beat senior compatriot HS Prannoy 21-12, 21-6 in the round-of-16 to reach the quarterfinal, a day after stunning third seed Jonatan Christie in a commanding performance.
Even against a depleted Prannoy - who was recovering from a bout of illness - Lakshya's growing confidence shone through as he placed smart winners and took charge at the net.
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He's now only the third Indian to reach the quarterfinal in men's singles at the Olympics. But unlike P Kashyap at London 2012 and K Srikanth at Rio 2016, who played legends in Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan, Lakshya has a genuine shot at a medal.
He is riding on a momentum wave and his draw has opened up, at least seedings wise. In the quarterfinal he would take on 34-year-old Chou Tien Chen, who beat fifth seed Kodai Naraoka in straight sets.
The veteran from Chinese Taipei is making a comeback of his own after being diagnosed with early-stage colon cancer and surgery. In fact, his disease was detected because he took a full body exam for the Olympics. And now he is here in the Round of 16 after a big win himself.
Chou leads Lakshya 3-1 in their head-to-head, but they haven't played each other in over a year and the Indian's only win over him came at the All England Championship in 2023.
In other words, Chou has not played this version of Lakshya, who incredibly turned a corner in March this year. After seven straight first-round exits, Lakshya found a higher level within himself and has since notched some big wins on the tour, and now at the Olympics. He is one of the fittest and fastest players on tour, and the faster conditions in Paris are propelling his quick-footed game style. His confidence, newly found after a major mental belief crisis earlier this year, is shining through as well and you can see it in his stroke play - remember the no-look backhand and the low back-court pick-up to set up the game points against Christie?
Vimal Kumar, his childhood coach at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, calls him a big-match player. "He has beaten the best of players, almost all players in the top 20 players. He has the ability to win these matches, and it should give him a boost," Vimal said at the India House in Paris. "I am quite pleased because in a big occasion like the Olympics Games to beat the world No 3 and the reigning All England champion, Asian champion on a big occasion it's very special."
In Paris already, he has played an extra match in the group stage after Kevin Cordon pulled out making it a three-player group. But that has proved to be a helpful chance to play himself in and get a feel of the conditions.
Lakshya is a physical player whose game is founded on quick retrieval and staying in points. But in the last few months, he has managed to embellish his counterpunching game with creative strokeplay which produces chances to attack more.
Vimal spoke about how even as a child, he had the ability to keep the shuttle in court and the stamina to last in a game as physically-demanding as badminton. "He's athletic, dives around and has good reflexes."
Against Chou, he will need his fitness more than ever as he plays back-to-back at the Olympic arena. Chou is an old-school touch player who combines his skill with a stamina that lets him stay in points for as long as it takes to kill them.
But with Vimal and Padukone in his corner for tactical advice, and the confidence from the upset win on Wednesday, he will back himself to make a historic semifinal.
"He's in good form now, he has prepared well for the Olympics and is very determined," Prakash Padukone said at India House. "He played really well; he's got a good chance if he continues to play like this."
With favourites Satwik-Chirag losing in the quarterfinal, all eyes will be on the 22-year-old to go all the way to the podium. Can Lakshya do what no other Indian man has before?
