For much of Wednesday, Lakshya Sen looked like he was being dragged into a battle he did not want to fight. Against world No. 92 Garrett Tan, the 14th-seeded Indian was made to work for every point, pulled repeatedly into long rallies and eventually worn down as the American teenager produced one of the biggest upsets in the round of 32 of the BWF World Championships here.
Tan prevailed 21-19, 19-21, 21-17 in 73 minutes, ending the home favourite’s campaign in the second round and leaving India without their highest-ranked men’s singles player in the draw.
While Lakshya’s exit was the shock of Day Three, Ayush Shetty and PV Sindhu provided India with a more straightforward passage into the pre-quarterfinals.
The 21-year-old Ayush, fresh from his stunning first-round victory over world No. 1 Shi Yuqi, swept aside Sri Lanka’s world No. 87 Dumindu Abeywickrama 21-8, 21-10.
Sindhu showed a similar command in her women’s singles round of 32 match against world No. 49 Wen Yu Zhang of Canada as the former world No. 1 ran a 21-16, 21-17 victor.
However, none had it as comfortable as men’s doubles defending champions Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who reached round of 16 without breaking a sweat. Their Scottish rivals Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle pulled out of the round-of-32 clash as Dunn sustained a right ankle injury in the opening round and couldn’t recover in time.
Meanwhile, the phrase “battle of attrition” was apt for Lakshya-Tan match as there were plenty of momentum swings. Tan’s game, however, was built less around spectacular winners than his willingness to keep Lakshya on court. His net play was particularly effective, forcing the Indian to move repeatedly and create openings rather than handing him easy points.
Tan, an 18-year-old making his mark on the biggest stage, did not possess an overpowering smash as he used it intelligently with the intention to win points. More importantly, he arrived with a clear plan and the discipline to stick to it.
Lakshya had already been made to work hard by Austria’s Collins Filimon in his opening-round win, when he recovered from losing the first game. The 25-year-old Indian’s recent form had hardly suggested a deep run despite a runner-up finish at the All England this March.
Lakshya, though, was full of fight on the day, levelling the contest at crucial junctures. Yet, the physical toll was beginning to show. Lakshya later admitted that he had to “dive around a lot” during the match and needed medical attention.
Tan, despite his deceptive game, too was worked around by a much-superior ranked opponent, who also forced the Taiwan-born American into a medical timeout late in the game.
However, the constant movement imposed by Tan had made the contest increasingly demanding.
The second game was the closest reflection of the seesaw nature of the contest, with both players producing spells of control but Tan managed to edge ahead and force a decider.
The American, however, opened up a five-point advantage early in the third game and became increasingly stable. Lakshya, at the same time, struggled to read the situation and execute his attacking strokes with the same clarity, allowing Tan the breathing space further.
“I was thinking before the match to stick to my strengths and execute the strategy well, take points, and I was able to do that,” Tan said after the win.
Results: India matches only: Prefix denotes seeding: Round of 32: Men: Singles: Lakshya Sen (Ind) lt to Garret Tan (USA) 21-19. 19-21, 21-17; Ayush Shetty (Ind) bt Dumindu Abeywickrama (Sri) 21-8, 21-10.
Doubles: Chirag Shetty / Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (Ind) bt Alexander Dunn / Adam Pringle (Sco) via walkover; MR Arjun / Hariharan A (Ind) lt to Kang Min Hyuk/ Ki Dong Ju (Kor) 17-21, 14-21.
Women: Singles: PV Sindhu (Ind) bt Wen Yu Zhang (Can) 21-17, 21-16.
Mixed: Dhruv Kapila/ Tanisha Crasto (Ind) bt Leong Iok Chong/ Ng Weng Chi (Mac) 21-11, 21-11.