New Delhi: Lakshya Sen, the 14th seed and one of India’s medal hopes in men’s singles, overcame a nervy start to his BWF World Championships campaign here at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday evening (August 18).

Playing Austria’s Collins Valentine Filimon, ranked 114 places below him in the BWF World Rankings, Lakshya got a real scare. Struggling to find his rhythm against an opponent he had never played before, the Indian struggled to break free from his shell and conceded the opening game 16-21, leaving everyone in the stands stunned.

Lakshya, however, overcame his early jitters and went on to dominate the second and third games to advance to the Round of 32.

After his 16-21, 21-8, 21-4 win over Filimon in a 45-minute match, Lakshya admitted that he felt nervous at the start and spoke of his helplessness in the first game.

“It was windy. Every time I would play a shot, I was scared that it would go out if I gave too much power on it. That is why I was not playing freely on the first set,” Lakshya conceded in the mixed zone after the match.

“My tactics were not working. My shots, especially the ones I was playing from the net, were going short. I was scared that they would go out,” he added further.

Filimon, a tall player standing at 6 feet 3 inches, used lifts to his advantage. But Lakshya’s late yet astute understanding of his game and the situation helped him turn the match around.

“The lifts were going short in the first game. He is a tall player, so he was taking advantage of it. I just tried to get in control of my lifts and not get into flat drives. I covered both the sides. I think those two things I changed (after the first game),” Lakshya said.

Talking about what helped him turn the tables, Lakshya said, “I got him into rallies and then the game changed. In the third game, I was much more in control. Once I knew I had a big lead, I was trying out different things.”

The second game was poised evenly, with Filimon leading 7-6 before Lakshya eventually shook off his early-game rust by unleashing his trademark jump smash to level things up. He regained his confidence and won four points in a row, combining two jump smashes with two cheeky net plays.

From there on, there was no looking back for Lakshya. He came out all guns blazing, conceding just one point as he outplayed the Austrian 21-8 to force the decider.

“In the second game, I tried to open up the game. I brought him into rallies. I think that helped. But again, whenever I was playing drives or giving him chances (in the first game), as he stalled and got a good reach, he would attack and take points. But I think in the second game, I changed that. I tried to get him into rallies. I didn’t give him many chances to attack or play drives,” Lakshya said, explaining his revised tactic.

In the third game, Lakshya – the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist – played on the side from which he had lost the opening game. He defied the sideways drift and took total control from the word go, unsettling the Austrian.

Lakshya went up 13-4 in the game in no time, dictated the play and wrapped up the contest without conceding another point.

After his nervy yet dominating win, he said, “I was happy with the game plan that we decided. I worked hard in the second and third games. I was very confident from the start. I think my body language and the way I played was much better than the first game.”

Even as he initially struggled to adapt to the drift on Court 1 at the IG Indoor Stadium, Lakshya refused to call the conditions challenging. “I think we have played in crazy drifts. This is nothing compared to that,” Lakshya signed off.

Lakshya will face Garret Tan of the United States in the Round of 32 – another unfamiliar opponent. Having shaken off his opening blues, Lakshya will be ready for what lies ahead.