Lakshya Sen Rallies Past Filimon at BWF World Championships

Lakshya Sen recovered from a first-game setback to defeat Bulgaria’s Collins Valentine Filimon 16-21, 21-8, 21-4 in the opening round of the BWF World Championships on Tuesday. The 14th-seeded Indian men’s singles player needed 45 minutes to complete the comeback and move into the next round.

Sen was made to work in the opener by Filimon, but the Indian found a markedly different rhythm across the following two games. After dropping the first game 21-16, Sen conceded only 12 points in the remainder of the match, taking the second 21-8 before completing the win with a 21-4 third game.

The result sends Sen into a meeting with USA’s Garret Tan, who reached the next round after beating Switzerland’s Tobias Kuenzi 21-4, 21-15. For Sen, the victory was built on an in-match adjustment after he felt his initial approach was not producing the required results.

Sen identifies the change that turned the match

Sen said he had been playing too short in the opening game and was unable to gain points when attempting drives against the taller Filimon. He explained that he sought to open up the rallies more in the second game, using lifts and creating opportunities to play his shots.

“Yes, I think in the first set, I was playing very short. When I was going for drives, I wasn’t getting any points because he’s tall and he can easily play those shots. In the second set, I tried to open up the game a bit more. I took a few lifts game in the rallies and then I was able to play my shots,” Sen said after the match.

The shift was clear on the scoreboard. Sen turned a five-point opening-game defeat into a 13-point win in the second, then finished with a 17-point margin in the decider. His 21-8 and 21-4 games ensured that the early deficit did not develop into a longer opening-round test.

Sen also said there had been too many errors in the first game and that he altered elements of the original plan. He said the style of play he began with was not right for the match, prompting him to focus on extending exchanges and getting Filimon into rallies.

“Otherwise, in the first set, there were a lot of errors. The game plan was a bit different, but I changed a few things in the second and third sets,” Sen said. “The game that I was playing was not right. I think I had to open up the game a bit more, get him into rallies. In the second set, I did that. He was just taking advantage of it (height) and I had to cover the court more.”

Next up: Garret Tan as Sen progresses

Sen also pointed to conditions at the start of the match, saying he began from an end where wind made it difficult to control the shuttle on lifts. He said several of those lifts were landing short, while changing ends gave him greater freedom to play his game in the second set.

“Yes, I think I started with a side which was windy, so it was hard to control the shuttles on the lift. A lot of my lifts were going quite short. In the second set, I knew I’m on a better end, so I could play my game freely,” he said.

Elsewhere, Sen praised young Indian player Ayush Shetty after Shetty defeated reigning world champion and world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi in the opening round. Sen said the Indian contingent had been supporting Shetty and wished him well for the matches ahead.

Sen’s own next challenge comes against Tan, with the 14th seed looking to carry the improved level he found after the first game into the next stage of the World Championships.