Top-8 was my aim: Sen

Bengaluru: India’s badminton sensation Lakshya Sen has had a momentous six months. The talented youngster’s exploits include finishing runner-up at the All England championships and the German Open. In the All England finale, he went down fighting to Olympic champion and World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen on Sunday. Consistency has been the catchword for the 20-year-old, who in recent times has turned a giant killer. A proof of his growing stock is his entry into the top 10 of the BWF world rankings — his long-time goal. Lakshya, who arrived in Bengaluru on Tuesday after becoming the fifth Indian to make the All England final, said he was happy with his performance and felt confident about the challenges ahead.During an interaction at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) here, Lakshya pointed out that breaking into the top 10 would help him get seeded in the upcoming tournaments.Currently at a career-high ranking of nine, the shuttler explained: “I aimed to get into the top 8, so that I will be seeded in tournaments. Now that Chen Long of China (ranked sixth) has retired, I will get seeded, which means, I don’t have to play against top players until quarters. In the All England, I played against Anders Antonsen (ranked 3) in the second-round while in the German Open second round I faced Anthony Ginting (ranked 5). That will not happen again and that is an advantage.”Lakshya said he approached the All England title round with the confidence of having beaten Denmark’s Axelsen in the German Open semifinal. But the toss proved crucial. Axelsen chose the side from where he troubled Lakshya. The Dane’s experience in playing big matches too helped him, Lakshya said. “Both in the German Open and at Birmingham, I had to play long semifinals which affected my body. My opponents in the finals were fresher than me. But again, in such big tournaments, these are not excuses and I need to adapt according to situations,” he said. “I was more prepared in the German Open against Kunlavut Viditsarn of Thailand, whom I have played a lot during my junior days. A minor foot injury affected my performance in the second game but I tried my best.”Lakshya said he was aware of the historical significance of his final at All England. “I knew I was the first Indian in 21 years to reach the men’s final. But I was more focused on the match,” he said.Lakshya, who will play the Korean Open, Thomas Cup and Thailand Open next, believes world badminton has changed after the outbreak of Covid-19 with a lot of young players coming up.“All matches are do-or-die games. There was a time when Kento Momota (of Japan) won 11 tournaments in a single year (2019). But I don’t think such a performance is possible now since a lot of talented youngsters are challenging the big players. There are a lot of tournaments happening and everyone is playing against everyone. It is not very easy for any player to win all matches,” he said.