Lakshya Sen Stages Epic Comeback, Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand Advance at BWF World Championships
Copenhagen, Denmark – Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen demonstrated remarkable resilience and a powerful resurgence at the BWF World Championships on Monday, battling back from an opening-game deficit to secure his spot in the second round of the men’s singles event. His thrilling victory was complemented by a strong performance from the women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who advanced to the pre-quarterfinals.
The 20-year-old Sen, a former Commonwealth Games gold medalist, faced a stern test against Austria’s Collins Valentine Filimon. After a shaky start fraught with uncharacteristic errors, Sen dropped the first game 16-21. Filimon capitalized on Sen’s early struggles, rattling off six consecutive points to gain a significant advantage. However, the Indian star, known for his fighting spirit, refused to yield.
Sen meticulously recalibrated his strategy in the second game, finding his rhythm and regaining control of the rallies. The scores were level at 7-7 before Sen unleashed a dominant run, securing an astonishing ten consecutive points to comfortably win the second game 21-8 and force a decider. The momentum had decisively shifted in his favor.
The third and final game was a testament to Sen’s newfound confidence and aggressive play. He dominated from the outset, racing ahead and leaving Filimon with little opportunity to recover. Sen ultimately sealed the match with a commanding 21-4 victory in the decider, bringing the total match time to 45 minutes. His impressive comeback sets up a clash with USA’s Garret Tan in the next round, who defeated Switzerland’s Tobias Kuenzi.
Indian Women’s Doubles Shines, Mixed Doubles Face Early Exits
India’s positive momentum continued in the women’s doubles category, where the formidable pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand delivered a stellar performance. They secured an impressive straight-game victory over the 16th-seeded American duo of Lauren Lam and Allison Quynh Lee. The Indian pair displayed excellent coordination and skill, winning 21-15, 21-12 in just 38 minutes to book their place in the pre-quarterfinals.
Jolly’s powerful smashes combined with Gayatri’s clever drops proved to be a winning formula, allowing them to dictate the pace and control the match. Their dominance was particularly evident in the second game, where they built a commanding 11-4 lead before comfortably closing out the set.
However, it wasn’t an entirely smooth day for all Indian pairs. Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi exited the competition after a 7-21, 14-21 loss to Bulgaria’s ninth-seeded Stoeva sisters.
The mixed doubles contingent faced a challenging start to their campaign. Both Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Shivani Gadde and Ashith Surya-Amrutha Pramuthesh bowed out in their opening-round matches. Kapoor and Gadde succumbed to Canada’s Jonathan Bing Tsan Lai and Crystal Lai in a tight three-game encounter, losing 22-20, 19-21, 17-21. Surya and Pramuthesh also faced a narrow defeat, losing 21-16, 29-30, 22-24 to Turkey’s Emre Sonmez and Yasemen Bektas in a match that featured an incredibly close second game.
Despite these early exits, the Indian challenge in mixed doubles continues with Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, who received a first-round bye and remain in contention. In women’s singles, Unnati Hooda also advanced, triumphing over Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzar with a score of 22-20, 21-16.
The BWF World Championships continue to deliver thrilling badminton action, with Indian athletes showcasing a mix of compelling comebacks and solid performances as they vie for top honors.
