Lakshya Sen will face Denmark's defending Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in the men's singles semifinal on Sunday afternoon, aiming to become India's first-ever male Olympic medallist in badminton.
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It won't be easy. Axelsen is pretty much the gold standard in the current era of men's singles. He has won singles medals at the last two Olympics, and also won the World Championships in Tokyo in 2022.
The Dane also presents Lakshya his toughest test in what has already been a tough campaign so far. He had to get past the third seed Jonatan Christie in the group stage and then two higher-ranked players in HS Prannoy and Chou Tien Chen in the first two knockout rounds.
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The rest day will help the 22-year-old before the semifinal, especially after coming through three matches in three days, the last of which was incredibly intense from a physical perspective. Even though, he is India's fittest player in the men's singles, the break to recharge his batteries couldn't have come at a better time.
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Before the semifinal, for those Indian fans of the superstitious kind, there is a good sign for Lakshya already. The last two players to beat Chou Tien Chen in an Olympic quarterfinal -- Lee Chong Wei in Rio and Chen Long in Tokyo -- also went on to make the final.
Additionally, the last time an Indian faced Axelsen in a marquee event, HS Prannoy won in the World Championship quarterfinal in the Dane's own backyard in Copenhagen.
Lakshya Sen vs Viktor Axelsen head-to-head
Axelsen leads 7-1, and most of his wins over Lakshya have been comfortable. However, the two met earlier this year in the first round of the Singapore Open, and it was a tight contest where Axelsen eventually prevailed in three games.
That performance was one of those which marked Lakshya's turnaround in form in 2024 as not just a flash in the pan, but one that would enable him to make a mark in Paris.
The Indian's only win against Axelsen came in the 2022 German Open in a nail-biter, winning the third game 22-20. It was two years ago but it should give the Indian the confidence that Axelsen is not an insurmountable hurdle.
Another piece of good news for Lakshya is that in 2024, Axelsen hasn't looked quite as invincible as he has at some times in the past. He's lost early at some major tournaments, has had injury concerns and been beaten by some unexpected players like Toma Junior Popov, Wang Tzu Wei and Chou Tien Chen, like who Lakshya beat in the quarters.
What are Axelsen's strengths?
In short, everything that a singles player needs to good at. But when you delve deeper into Axelsen's game, the one attribute that makes him a scary opponent for anyone facing him is his excellent shot-making.
Axelsen is adept at both fast exchanges at the net, drop shots and also the big smash from deeper in the court. This ability to vary his speed comes from being able to read an opponent and change tactics almost at will.
Axelsen's natural game has an answer to both defensive and aggressive players. For defensive players, his variety of shot-making often proves to be too much to handle. Against more aggressive players, the Dane's massive wing-span makes him an excellent retriever of shuttles as well.
Generally, Axelsen does prefer to have his shot-making come to the fore and help him dictate rallies rather than having to defend and just trying to stay in rallies.
How can Lakshya nullify those strengths?
Repeat everything he did against Chou Tien Chen. Do it for the duration of the whole game. No room for errors. Lakshya can't afford to give Axelsen a sniff of momentum.
He is equipped to do it, no doubt. He is one of the best defensive players in the world. His ability to make diving retrievals and then spring up to be in position to play the next shuttle as well is something that he will need against Axelsen.
However, the mix of defence and attack that Lakshya showed against Chou is the template. He cannot afford to be passive. The big crosscourt smashes from left to right really worked nicely for Lakshya in his quarterfinal, and that has got to be an attacking weapon for him.
A win against Axelsen will be the greatest win by an Indian man at the Olympics. It will be tough. But Lakshya Sen almost didn't even qualify for Paris after a month-long poor run of form. He had a turnaround of form just in time to even make it here. And after making it, he's only crossed one tough obstacle after another. Now, the big Dane presents the biggest one of them all. History awaits Lakshya Sen on Sunday afternoon.
The match will start at around 3:30 PM IST on Sunday.