Sydney, Nov 23 (LatestNewsX) – Lakshya Sen said that securing the Super 500 title at the Australian Open felt especially meaningful after a season marked by many ups and downs, finally ending a long title drought on Sunday. He bested Japan’s Yushi Tanaka 21‑15, 21‑11, making the final one of his smoothest yet.
Speaking about the win, Sen said, “I have seen a lot of ups and downs this season, with a few injuries at the start of the season, but I kept my hard work going throughout the season and I am very happy to end the season on a good note. I’m very excited, looking forward to the next season now and I am really happy with the way I played today and this week.”
That victory marks Sen’s third Super 500 title, following a close run to the Hong Kong final earlier in the year. The week was hard‑won, with Sen overcoming countryman Ayush Shetty and defending champion Chou Tien‑Chen in tightly contested matches.
When asked to describe the moment when he realised victory was within reach, Sen noted, “In the second set, I was quite far off in the lead, but I didn’t want to get too inside my head so I wouldn’t relax too much. In the back of my mind, it was there but I was just trying to focus on playing one point at a time.”
Sen dominated the match from the outset. Tanaka’s closest challenge came at 15‑13 in the first game, but Sen swiftly regained control, mixing up placement and scoring batches of points. When Tanaka mounted a brief surge at 17‑15, the rest of the match remained one‑sided. Tanaka’s attempt at back‑court drop shots kept landing in the net, and Sen was ultimately rewarded for the effort and determination he has shown since his disappointment at the Paris Olympics last year.
“It was important to have a good start, and keeping the momentum in the last set because it was quite even in the first one. I got a good lead and I could finish it off. The second set started on a good note and then I just kept the lead to finish the match,” Sen concluded.
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