Lakshya Sen wins Dutch Open, seals maiden BWF World Tour title

Promising Indian teenage badminton star Lakshya Sen came back from a set down to beat Yusuke Onodera of Japan and clinch the Dutch Open 2019. The teenage sensation defeated Onodera 15-21, 21-14, 21-15 in a match that lasted 63 minutes. Onodera, ranked 160th in the world rankings, couldn’t make his early lead count as Sen proved to be more resilient in sealing the win. This is Sen's maiden BWF World Tour title.

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How the match unfolded

The Dutch Open is a BWF World Tour Super 100 tournament. Sen started slowly in the final, losing the first set 15-21 despite a couple of close scores as 10-11 and 13-14 during the set. On top of his game, Onodera did not let Lakshya get ahead. However, the second game was the most closely fought set of the game. Lakshya Sen took an early lead of 8-5 but Onodera fought back, bringing the score to 11-12. Sen though, just like Onodera in the first set, went for the kill and emerged victorious 21-14.

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With the scores level, Lakshya Sen came with a clear strategy to keep his opponent at the bay. He led 9-4 before making it 11-8 at the break. After the break, Sen slowed down the game and continued to march towards victory. The third set ended 21-15, ensuring Sen’s victory at the Dutch Open.

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One For The Future 

Lakshya Sen is one of India’s upcoming badminton prodigies. Currently ranked 72nd, Sen had won the Belgian Open last year and finished as the runner up in the Polish Open this year. Sen also won the Asian Junior Championships, a silver at the Youth Olympic Games and a bronze at the World Junior Championship last year. Hailing from a badminton family, he has shown from a young age that he has the skillset and the talent to make it big.

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