Sydney: Lakshya Sen ended his title drought by clinching the Super 500 Australian Open on Sunday, comfortably defeating Japan’s Yushi Tanaka 21-15, 21-11 in one of the most straightforward finals of his career. After sealing the victory, he gestured for silence by placing his index fingers in his ears and closing his eyes, a nod to the intense week he had just navigated.
This marks Sen’s third Super 500 title, and he capitalised on his second final appearance of the year after falling short in Hong Kong. It was a lively week in which Sen overcame compatriot Ayush Shetty and Chou Tien Chen in challenging, closely contested matches.
The final, by contrast, was straightforward. After spending 85 minutes on court in the semifinal, Sen faced a far more accommodating opponent in Tanaka. Struggling with accuracy and prone to errors, Tanaka repeatedly misfired on his smashes and fumbled what he intended as delicate touches.
His precision deserted him, and the luckless Japanese player – often considered a domestic powerhouse – had endured a string of early-round exits before unexpectedly reaching the final.
Sen kept things simple, allowing his flamboyant opponent to make poor shot choices and rack up mistakes. His own defence was barely tested in the 38-minute match, though Tanaka’s unpredictability produced the occasional flash of danger.
Even so, 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 command, varying his placements and collecting points in clusters. Tanaka, sticking to the script, only hurt his own chances with a steady supply of unforced errors.
At 17–15, Tanaka produced a brief spell of gritty defence, but otherwise it was all Sen. Tanaka’s attempted back-court drop shots kept catching the tape, and Sen was finally rewarded for the hard work and determination he has shown since his disappointment at the Paris Olympics last year.
Although it was too late for him to qualify for the World Tour Finals, Sen made sure to close out his international swing with a title before heading home.
(IANS)
