France (Paris): Defending Champion Viktor Axelsen beat Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen in the semi-final of the Paris 2024 Olympics on Sunday in two straight sets proving why he is one of the best in the business. Playing at Court 1 of the La Chappele Arena, the Danish player beat Lakshya by 22-20, 14-21.
Axelsen was trailing in the first set by 9-15 in the opening set and by 0-7 in the second set but he showed a brilliant defensive game to bounce back from both the situations. The World No. 2 showed a lot of composure and eked out a victory against the Indian shuttler in spite of the fact that the latter was looking at his best on Sunday.
Lakshya showcased his potential right from the start and took his time to measure the flight of the shuttler. He judged the length and width of the court exceptionally well during the rallies while his opponent failed to judge the lines correctly. After trailing by 1-3, the Indian shuttler bounced back with a lead of 11-9 by mid-break in the first set. Lakshya pushed the limits by playing his returns slower through the air and took the lead to 15-9. However, Axelsen was back in the game soon by defending and then smashing from mid-court. With this plan, Axlesen levelled the set at 20-20 and then won two points on a trot to pocket the set by 22-20.
Despite losing the first set, Lakshya did not lose his composure and took a massive 7-0 lead in the second set. But, it was Axelsen yet again who fought back in the later stages. He wiped out the lead and then started dominating the Indian shuttler with smashes from odd positions in the court. The second-ranked played bagged the set by 21-14.
Lakshya will now take on Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in the bronze medal match and will aim to conclude his campaign with a bronze.
