India’s promising shuttler, Lakshya Sen, saw his impressive run at the Paris Olympics come to a heart-wrenching conclusion as he narrowly missed out on the bronze medal in the men’s singles event on Monday. Sen was on the brink of making history as the first Indian male shuttler to win an Olympic medal in this category, but his 21-13, 16-21, 11-21 loss to Malaysia’s Zii Jia Lee left him in fourth place.
Sen started the match with determination, securing the first set 21-13 after a series of intense rallies. The opening exchanges saw a nervous start from Jia, whose errors gave Sen an early advantage. Sen’s defensive prowess and strategic smashes kept him ahead, even as Jia attempted to close the gap with powerful cross-court shots.
In the second set, Sen maintained his momentum, quickly racing to an 8-3 lead. However, Jia responded with a remarkable comeback, scoring eight consecutive points to take a three-point lead at the half-time break. Despite Sen’s efforts to regain control with aggressive smashes, Jia managed to level the match with a 16-21 win.
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The decider saw Jia dominate from the outset, leveraging his forehand and backhand shots to build a commanding 2-9 lead. Sen fought back to reduce the gap to 6-11 before the mid-break but struggled to overcome Jia’s relentless offense. Ultimately, Jia secured the third set 11-21, claiming the bronze medal and leaving Sen just short of the podium.
Reflecting on the match, it was clear that Sen’s journey to the brink of Olympic history showcased his exceptional talent and resilience. Despite the disappointment, his performance in Paris has solidified his status as one of India’s brightest badminton stars.
