All England open 2022: Lakshya Sen settles for silver after defeat against Victor Axelsen

Axelsen defeated the 21-year-old Indian 21-10, 21-15 in straight sets in Birmingham to claim the men's singles title for the second time.

Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen; Credit: Twitter/@Media_SAI
By Sreejith C R | Mar 21, 2022 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Lakshya Sen’s dream run at the All England Open Championships ended with a defeat against world number one Victor Axelsen in the men’s singles final on Sunday. The 21-year-old Indian lost the title-decider 21-10, 21-15 in straight sets in Birmingham. On Saturday, Sen had become only the fifth Indian after Prakash Nath, Prakash Padukone, Pullela Gopichand and Saina Nehwal to reach the final of the prestigious event. Axelsen defeated Sen in a match that lasted for 53 minutes.

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It was a one-sided contest as the Olympic champions dominated the young Indian right from the get-go. Axelsen won the first six points before Sen tried to close the gap. However, the Dane was too good with his shots as he won the first set with ease.

In the second game, Sen looked slightly better but Axelsen showed great composure to win the game and the match. 

“I think the strategy was there. I played him last week but today he was looking solid in attack and defence as well. He was really patient and played a really good game,” Sen said after the match.

“In the opening game, I committed a lot of errors, that cost me the game. I was there in the second game but again he was too solid for me to put the shuttle down.”

In the semi-final, Sen had stunned Lee Zii Jia 21-13, 12-21, 21-19 in three games. The World championship bronze medalist showed nerves of steel as he got the better of the defending champion from Malaysia on Saturday. 

“There was a lot of pressure before the match but when I was on court it was just another match for me. I played a really crucial match yesterday and that gave me confidence but credit to him for playing a perfect game.”

2020 winner Axelsen claimed the men’s singles title for the second time. Meanwhile Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi won the women’s singles crown, beating South Korea’s An Seyoung 21-15 21-15 in the final. 

Despite the loss it has been an impressive performance for Sen, who is still in his early days in elite-level Badminton. 

“Since the pandemic happened, I have played really good badminton. I have to keep playing continuously at the top level and now I know what it is like to be playing in the big circuit. Every match is important and I have to be prepared and it gives me a lot of confidence,” Sen said.