Lakshya Sen impresses on Olympic debut
Lakshya Sen made a great start to his Paris Olympics 2024 campaign by defeating Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon 21-9, 22-20 in a Group L badminton men’s singles match. On his Olympic debut, the teenager appeared on top of his game and dominated his opponent.
Lakshya defeated Guetamalan in under 42 minutes. Lakshya also improved his head-to-head record against Cordon to 2-0, having defeated him in the 2021 World Championship, 21-13, 21-8.
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Lakshya dominated the opening game
The initial game was a one-sided affair. Lakshya took the initiative, leading 9-1. He unleashed some amazing smashes, leaving Cordon with no answer to the Indian shuttler’s challenges. Cordon performed far better in the second half of the game, but it was too late for him.
Cordon played well in the second but couldn’t capitalise
Cordon came out all guns blazing in the second game. Once he won the first point, he surged to a 14-8 lead, putting Lakshya under pressure for a short time. Cordon earned a game point at 20-16 when the Indian smacked the shuttlecock into the net.
But Lakshya was not going to give up easily by any stretch of the imagination. He not only saved the game point, but also earned one. Cordon found himself under pressure after being in a position of command at one point.
At match point, Lakshya blasted the shuttlecock past Cordon to emerge victorious. The 22-year-old won six points in a row, demonstrating that he has the nerve to mount a comeback with his back against the wall.
