On a day when the home crowd at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium arrived expecting a routine march into the last 16, India’s leading men’s singles hope Lakshya Sen fell for a 73-minute Round of 32 exit at the BWF World Championships here on Wednesday.
The 14th seed, who won bronze at this event in 2021, was stunned 19-21, 21-19, 21-17 by 18-year-old American sensation Garret Tan in a physical match that saw dives, falls, medical timeouts and a complete reversal of tactical momentum.
Sen, who came into the tournament seeking to replicate his previous podium exploits, started aggressively. Taking the opening game 21-19, the world No.14 relied on fast front-court coverage and steep, angled half-smashes to keep the athletic American at bay.
But as Tan started using his height to fire booming, downward smashes, neutralising Sen’s net speed with heavy backline clears, the script inverted.
Following the gruelling decider, where Sen fought back from 11-4 down to bring the score to 17-16 before errors cost him the final stretch, the Indian required immediate medical attention for bruises sustained from multiple full-court dives before addressing the media.
“It was a very tough match, a hard-fought match. I gave my all, whatever I had in my tank. I was also exhausted physically in the third game,” Sen said in the mixed zone. “I will give a lot of credit to him, he played a solid game. I am a little disappointed, though I gave my all in the end it wasn’t enough. He was just a better player today.”
Addressing his tactical struggles throughout the contest, Sen said that Tan’s aggressive length kept him perpetually on the back foot.
“He was quite dominant. I was always playing cover-up. I had my chances, but he was taking the points and I was playing under pressure a lot of times. All the games were close, so I don’t think there was any clear advantage,” said Sen.
“The rallies were long and the drift was not playing a big role. He was quite solid on his defence and attack, so I wasn’t getting many chances. It is a big tournament, so it hurts more, but we have some big tournaments coming up, so I will prepare for those.”
The mood in the opposite camp, though, was one of jubilation mixed with awe. Tan, a southern California boy who splits his training between USA and Taiwan, played with a maturity beyond his age and ranking (world No.92), not bothered by a hostile crowd.
Sitting in his corner was an all-female support system featuring coach Paula Lynn and current shuttler Lauren Lam, who lost her women’s doubles Round of 32 contest partnering Allison Lee, against Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand on Tuesday.
Lynn said that Tan’s ability to maintain focus and handle the pressure here was immensely impressive, praising his dedication as a “hard-working, God-fearing athlete”. The match hit a brief moment of concern when Tan dived for the shuttle and bumped his head, experiencing mild dizziness, but his bench stepped in during the pause to reset his focus.
The coach added that their strategy revolved around slowing down the pace and keeping Sen away from the front court, forcing the Indian to play from the backline. They had prepared Tan mentally to ignore the loud home crowd and control only what was happening on his side of the net.
Asked about “lady luck”, the all-female corner, Lynn quipped that every young player benefits from “a bit of motherly coaching” and “big sister support” during high-stakes matches.
Mixed day for Indians
It was a mixed day for the hosts. Former world champion PV Sindhu, seeded ninth, coasted into the pre-quarterfinals with a smooth 21-16, 21-17 victory over Canada’s Zhang Wen Yu, setting up a clash against third seed Wang Zhi Yi of China.
Youngster Ayush Shetty, who caused the biggest upset of the tournament when he ousted defending champion and world No.1 Shi Yu Qi of China on the opening day, also showcased his credentials by dismantling Sri Lanka’s Dumindu Abeywickrama 21-8, 21-10 in just 26 minutes to book a last 16 spot against Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan.
In men’s doubles, top contenders Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received a walkover into the Round of 16 after their Scottish opponents, Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle, withdrew due to an injury to the former.
The mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also enjoyed a comfortable outing, defeating Macau’s Leong Iok Chong and Ng Weng Chi 21-11, 21-11.
There was more heartbreak in singles as Unnati Hooda squandered two match points in a dramatic decider against 13th seed Michelle Li of Canada, eventually losing 11-21, 21-9, 23-21 in a thrilling battle.
