India’s Lakshya Sen (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: When Lakshya Sen took on Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen in the 2022 All England Open final, he could only take 10 and 15 points from the Dane, respectively. In 2024, after securing a long-lasting UK visa, the Indian shuttler joked he would win the title there 3-4 times and reach the finals at least eight times. Last Sunday, the 24-year-old added to the finals tally, but the titles column remained at nought as he went down 15-21, 20-22 to Lin Chun-Yi of Taiwan.A foot blister played a role, as did the fatigue of playing a 97-minute semi-final hours ago. In all, he had occupied the court for 91 minutes more than his vanquisher, Lin. Shoulder fatigue made it a physically one-sided affair even before the feather met the strings.

“The semi-final I played took a toll on my body, with the cramps I had. I did everything I could to recover well and come back fresh for the final, but it was tough to get back to 100%,” Lakshya said on Tuesday during a media interaction.“The whole week had been demanding with long matches from the very first day, and the muscles got tired. Even during the semi-final, I was cramping a lot, and the fatigue was still there in the final,” Lakshya added. “Of course, my opponent was also playing his fifth match of the week, but I just tried to give it my all and do my best.”The 24-year-old repeated feeling “disheartened” to not walk away with the title while acknowledging the physical duress on his body. Yet, he did what any athlete does: accept that both players started on an even footing, having played five matches in the week.Sen’s week included wins over top seed and World No. 1 Shi Yu Qi; former World No. 6 Angus Ng Ka Long, and sixth seed Li Shi Feng with only one match, barring the final, finishing in two sets.The difference between the Lakshya Sen of 2022 and that of 2026 is in the level of expectations that he attaches to himself. The heartbreak of missing out on the 2024 Paris Olympics medal has made him a more resolute player, too.“I feel the first time when I played the finals of the All England, I was probably still dreaming that whole week that I am playing in such a big event and I have reached the finals. I was enjoying and playing without any expectation, but here when I could reach the closing of the tournament, the semi-finals, the quarter-finals. I was better prepared in certain ways to know what’s coming and how to play in these pressure matches where I have played big events now and was just trying to focus on playing my best.