Sydney, Nov 23 (IANS) Lakshya Sen said that winning the Super 500 Australian Open after experiencing several ups and downs this season felt special, as he ended a long title drought here on Sunday. The shuttler defeated Japan’s Yushi Tanaka 21-15, 21-11 in what was one of his easiest finals.
Speaking on his win, Sen said, “I have seen a lot of ups and downs this season, with a few injuries at the start of the season, but I kept my hard work going throughout the season and I am very happy to end the season on a good note. I’m very excited, looking forward to the next season now and I am really happy with the way I played today and this week.”
This marks Sen’s third Super 500 title, building on his second final appearance of the year after narrowly missing out in Hong Kong. It was an exciting week as Sen defeated fellow countryman Ayush Shetty and Chou Tien Chen in tough, closely fought matches.
Asked to describe the moment when he knew he could win, Sen noted, “In the second set, I was quite far off in the lead, but I didn’t want to get too inside my head so I wouldn’t relax too much. In the back of my mind, it was there but I was just trying to focus on playing one point at a time.
Sen controlled the match almost from start to finish. The closest Tanaka came to unsettling him was at 15–13 in the opening game, but Sen quickly regained control, varying his placements and scoring in clusters. Tanaka, sticking to the plan, only harmed his own chances with a steady stream of unforced errors.
At 17–15, Tanaka produced a brief spell of tough defence, but otherwise it was all Sen. Tanaka’s attempt at back-court drop shots kept catching the tape, and Sen was finally rewarded for the effort and determination he has shown since his disappointment at the Paris Olympics last year.
“It was important to have a good start, and keeping the momentum in the last set because it was quite even in the first one. I got a good lead and I could finish it off. The second set started on a good note and then I just kept the lead to finish the match,” Sen concluded.
–IANS
vi/ab
