India Open: Lakshya Sen makes short work of young Ayush Shetty

NEW DELHI: Lakshya Sen doesn’t overpower opponents with sheer height or brute force. He dissects them, with speed, angles and imagination.On Tuesday, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here, India’s ace shuttler put on a lesson in modern men’s singles, using his sharp footwork, deceptive changes of pace and relentless court coverage to neutralise the towering presence of 6-foot-5 Ayush Shetty and march into the second round of the India Open Super 750.

In a first-round contest that pitted Lakshya’s compact, high-tempo game against the raw reach and power of a fast-rising youngster, the 24-year-old 2021 World Championships bronze medallist never allowed the match to tilt in his opponent’s favour, sealing a commanding 21-12, 21-15 win in just 36 minutes.Ayush, playing his maiden India Open, tried to impose himself with his height and steep angles, but Lakshya repeatedly took the shuttle early, rushed him with flat exchanges and dragged him into rallies, exposing the inexperience of a player still learning the demands of this level.

Almora-born Lakshya mixed his defence with sudden counter-attacks, sliced drops and sharp cross-court placements, refusing to give the taller man time to settle into a rhythm.“I didn’t expect it to be too tricky, but I think it will get better from the second round,” Lakshya said. “In the first round, you always have to adjust.”Yet the respect for his opponent was evident. “He’s a really good player, and I had to come really prepared,” Lakshya said.

“I’m taking one match at a time and focusing only on the next one.”Lakshya will next face Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto, who advanced after seventh seed Kodai Naraoka retired while trailing 6-21, 6-7. In women’s doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand made a confident start, cruising past Thailand’s Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn and Sukitta Suwachai 21-15, 21-11.In men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun crossed the opening hurdle with a 21-15, 21-18 win over Malaysia’s Teo Ee Yi and Ong Yew Sin.