Finance
Lakshya Sen broke his title drought by winning the Super 500 Australian Open on Sunday, defeating Japan’s Yushi Tanaka 21-15, 21-11 in one of his most routine finals. After securing victory, he signaled stillness by placing his index fingers in his ears and closing his eyes, a tribute to the hectic week he had just had.
This is Sen’s third Super 500 victory, and he took advantage of his second final appearance of the year after losing in Hong Kong. Sen had a busy week, defeating compatriots Ayush Shetty and Chou Tien Chen in hard-fought battles.
In comparison, the finale was uncomplicated. Sen faced Tanaka, a significantly more accommodating opponent, after spending 85 minutes on court in the semifinals. Tanaka, who struggles with accuracy and is prone to blunders, frequently misfired on his smashes and bungled what he thought to be delicate touches.
His precision failed him, and the unlucky Japanese player – generally regarded as a domestic powerhouse – had suffered a series of early-round exits until unexpectedly reaching the final.
Sen kept things simple, letting his flamboyant opponent to make poor shots and mistakes. Tanaka’s defense was scarcely tested in the 38-minute encounter, but his unpredictability provided the occasional flash of danger.
Nonetheless, Sen dominated the battle practically from start to end. Tanaka came close to disturbing Sen at 15-13 in the first game, but Sen immediately regained control by altering his placements and earning points in clusters. Tanaka’s adherence to the script only damaged his prospects with a continuous stream of unforced errors.
Tanaka put up a valiant fight at 17-15, but the rest of the game was all Sen. Tanaka’s attempted back-court drop shots repeatedly hit the tape, and Sen was finally rewarded for his hard work and determination since his defeat at the Paris Olympics last year.
Although it was too late for him to qualify for the World Tour Finals, Sen made sure to round off his overseas tour with a triumph before returning home.
Source: IANS
