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Lakshya Sen loses to Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn in German Open final
The young Indian shuttler could not repeat his upset of world No 1 Viktor Axelson in the semi-finals, losing the title clash in straight games
After his sensational fightback against Olympic champion Viktor Axelson, there was high hope of Lakshya Sen producing another in the German Open final on Sunday. But that never came to fruition. Against Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Sen raised hopes whenever he picked a clutch of points but could not sustain the intensity to lose 21-18, 21-15.
After losing the first game, Sen was staring down a 11-6 deficit in the second. It was here that the young Indian started to stitch together points by taking control of the rallies and choosing his attacking options smartly. But Vitidsarn was on guard. He never let Sen settle down.
Sen, 20, was facing an opponent he has met many times in his junior days. In a way, it was a clash between two of the world’s best juniors now taking their rivalry to the elite level. Vitidsarn, a three-time world junior champion (2017-19), has been talked of as a big star in making. Sen was also world No 1 junior in the period. He beat him to win the Asian junior title but lost to him in the world junior semi-finals in three games. They have successfully made their transition to the senior level, taking centrestage alongside Axelsen and Kento Momota.
Vitidsarn would have been really happy to see Sen take out world No 1 Axelsen in the semi-finals. Axelsen had blocked his way in three Tour finals. The Thai’s search for his maiden Tour title finally came to end by beating Sen in the Super 300 event.
It was Sen’s fourth Tour final. He won two Super 100 events in 2019 but this year he has taken big strides, winning bronze at the world championships and then his first Super 500 title at the India Open before the win over Axelsen on Saturday. He has shown maturity, skills and physical abilities needed to reach the top.
Vitidsarn would have come prepared for a sterner test against his formidable opponent. The two were 3-3 in head-to-head record, taking the junior battles also into account. Sen beat him the last time they met in Germany (Hylo Open) in 2021.
On Sunday, Sen was not at his best. His movements were a tad slow and he made uncharacteristic mistakes at crucial junctures. That meant the challenge was not strong enough and Vitidsarn, who was steady throughout and solid in defence, made fewer mistakes. Sen must not have got enough time to recover from the exhausting 70-minute semi-final against Axelsen, and it showed in his game.
Vitidsarn was quick to start pouncing on any loose stroke from Sen, racing to 13-6 in the first game. Sen changed gears and tried to engage him in rallies, but Vitidsarn never conceded the lead and finished off the first game with a cross court smash. The second game saw a more attacking Sen, but he was not consistent enough to put pressure on his opponent. The Thai opened a 7-3 lead and kept Sen on his toes with good deceptive strokes and defensive play.
There is no time to ponder for Sen. He will head to Birmingham on Monday for the All England championships. Despite the defeat, he can take loads of confidence from performances against top quality players.
“Lakshya was a bit tentative today. He was looking to comeback but could not force the pace and gave away some easy points. Kunlavut defended very well. He was doing what Lakshya did to Axelsen,” Sen’s coach Vimal Kumar said.
“I have told him that recovery sessions will be important for him because All England starts immediately. He will have to forget this match and focus on his next tournament,” Kumar added.
