Two months ago, Lakshya Sen was mired in a terrible slump, looking lost after seven straight first-round exits on the BWF Tour.
Today, Lakshya Sen has reached back-to-back semifinals in two straight weeks of the BWF Tour - at a Super 750 and Super 1000 tournament (the two highest tiers) looking supremely confident against some of the best players in the world.
The 22-year-old Indian made the semis at the prestigious All England Championships after stunning comeback wins against world No. 3 Anders Antonsen and 2021 champion Lee Zii Jia in the span of two days.
Against the Dane, he came back from a poor second game and 2-8 down in the decider to grab the final 8 points in his 24-22, 11-21, 21-14 win. Against the Malaysian, he fought back from a game down to win 20-22, 21-16, 21-19. The scoreline margins indicate how the final phase was a test of nerves as much as skill. Both times, he was the underdog and under pressure, both times he emerged victorious by being calm and playing his own game.
Follow LIVE: Lakshya Sen vs Jonatan Christie
The unseeded Indian showed the full range of his counter-punching prowess and speedy court-work, this time underlined by an exceptionally composed demeanour that has piled the pressure on his opponents as much as his skillful defence. He did that in Paris last week - where all his wins came from a game down - and he has backed it up in Birmingham, with the presence of childhood coaches Prakash Padukone and Vimal Kumar on the bench behind him. It's a complete U-turn and it's come at the best time possible - with the Paris Olympics looming closer.
This Lakshya looks nothing like the dejected player at the India Open in January, plainly admitting that he was yet to process his latest loss to even think of the future. This Lakshya looked more like the 20-year-old breaking through the ranks back in 2022, reaching the final of All-England; beating Antonsen and Lee then as well.
How did he turn it all around?
In New Delhi, Vimal Kumar spoke about how Lakshya's issues were more mental than physical. His collapses stemmed from a lack of confidence rather than a technical glitch. The best way to solve them, the coach believed, was to not overthink but go back to his basics and put together a few wins.
DIY: How childhood coach Vimal Kumar hopes Lakshya Sen can get his mojo back
Conquering mental opponents is easier said than done but Lakshya has apparently managed to do just that. He is not only sticking to his basics of a quick, counter-punching game which can easily transition into attack when the opportunity arises, but he is doing it with complete confidence and composure.
The 22-year-old did this multiple times against Lee, keeping the rallies on his racquet and forcing his opponent to do something extra while he remained steady. Lakshya was leading 8-3 to start the match before Lee reduced it to 9-8 and then levelled things at 12-12 and 16-16. They were battling it out in versatile rallies and smashed winners, with Lee often overhitting and Lakshya anticipating the errors. It was Lee who had three game points but Lakshya saved them all with great shots under pressure. On his fourth, he converted when Lakshya hit long - reiterating that the points were more often decided by the Indian's actions.
The way Lee took the first game where Lakshya looked like the better player is a testament to the Malaysian's talent. Later however, the erratic tag that often describes him proved to be the difference.
Lakshya, in the second game, stayed consistent and once again had the lead at the interval with more varied retrieving. The second half, however, was much closer with very small margins. Lee, looking to be the one to end points, committed a bunch of errors and got more cautious while Lakshya used the chance to force more mishits and eventually a decider. The Indian varied his pace and shots well to take charge of points.
The decider was much tighter with no real lead to either player. But where Lee was sharp at the net and nailing smashes sporadically, Lakshya was constantly directing shots all over the court and had the interval lead once again as well as the momentum.
The second half was not the cleanest of games but Lakshya's patience while Lee looked worried was a key difference. There was a superb rally at 13-16 where Lakshya won with his variety and smarts, a dogged defence ending with a smashed winner.
Lee Zii Jia ���� competes against Lakshya Sen ���� in a hard-fought matchup.#BWFWorldTour #AllEngland2024 pic.twitter.com/wFqMCJh8G1
- BWF (@bwfmedia) March 16, 2024
But just as the Indian saw the finish line at 18-14, came the final twist as Lee levelled things at 19-19 with a cracking angled smash after a brief medical check for his arm. It was the moment of truth for Lakshya and those final 2 points went back to what coach Kumar had said so long ago. Lakshya forced Lee to mishit with quick parrying and then Lee pushed his return long, as he had so often in the match.
Lakshya stuck to his basics and found confidence to reach the All-England semis once again - a full circle of sorts. Two years after his breakthrough and two months after his lowest point, Lakshya Sen discovered, or rather rediscovered, the core of what made him stand out as a badminton player.
Next, he faces Jonathan Christie, whom he trails 1-2 in their head-to-head, for a place in the final. If he can continue playing his newfound old game, Lakshya can find something as precious at the oldest badminton tournament in the world.