By Slogger
First publised on 2022-03-21 09:20:26
After a fabulous run in recent months, shuttler Lakshya Sen faltered at the last hurdle in the All England badminton Championships to go down fighting to world number one Viktor Alexsen of Denmark in straight sets 10-21, 15-21. It was an anti-climax as Sen's recent showing built up the anticipation of a great match. There were good rallies but the fact is that Sen was outplayed.
Alexsen obviously had Sen's reputation as a giant killer at the back of his mind when he came out to play the final. He had a game plan of not allowing Sen to settle down and he put it in practice from the word go. The way Alexsen covered the court and made Sen run for every shot forced the latter to commit too many unforced error. The first set was over even before Sen could work out how to counter his opponent's aggressiveness.
From drop shots to smashes, Alexsen used every trick of the trade to keep Sen on the defensive. Despite his obvious talent, it was too much for Sen to work out a counter strategy in the short match. Both players know each others' game as they train together. Sen had beaten Alexsen only last week in the semifinal of the German Open. But the way Alexsen came out all guns blazing on Sunday proved to be too much for Sen. This is the beginning of a great rivalry between these two talented players and they will entertain badminton lovers with great contests in the future.