India’s star shuttler Lakshya Sen’s BWF World Championships campaign came to an end on Wednesday as the world No. 14 went down to USA’s world No. 92 Garrett Tan in three closely fought games – 21-19, 19-21, 17-21 – in a contest that lasted one hour and 13 minutes.
Lakshya entered the contest with confidence after fighting back from a game down to beat Austria’s Collins Valentine Filimon 16-21, 21-8, 21-4 in the round of 64. Against Garrett, he once again showed his ability to stay in the match even when the momentum was not in his favour.
In the opening game, Garrett moved ahead 3-1 before Lakshya fought his way back to make it 6-6. From there, every point brought a louder response from the stands. Indian fans were fully behind their star, with some even bringing dhols into the stadium and playing them after Lakshya won points.
Garrett led 12-11 before Lakshya levelled the score and kept the pressure on. The two remained locked at 15-15 before Lakshya produced a stunning burst, moving 18-16 ahead and eventually closing out the game 21-19.
However, in the second game, Garrett made a strong start. The American quickly opened up a four-point lead before Lakshya got his first point. But despite the Indian’s efforts, Garrett managed to maintain control and led 17-13.
The crowd refused to let Lakshya drift away. Chants of “Let’s go Lakshya” and “Come on Lakshya” echoed around the stadium as the Indian tried to find another way back. Garrett held his nerve and took the second game 21-19 to force a decider.
The third game once again saw Lakshya chasing the score. Garrett managed a five-point advantage at 15-10, but the 25-year-old Indian refused to give up. He fought his way back to 15-17, with the noise inside the stadium rising with every rally.
For a Wednesday evening, the atmosphere inside the arena was extraordinary. Fans responded to Lakshya’s fight with chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”. Even at 15-17, Lakshya was seen stretching between rallies, trying to recover and push himself through the final stages.
He reduced the gap to just one point at 16-17, but Tan managed to hold his nerve when it mattered most. Lakshya continued to fight, but the American closed out the deciding game 21-17 to end the Indian’s run at the World Championships.
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