Lakshya Sen uses fast drives to down World No 10 Farhan and make Kumamoto Finals

Lakshya Sen deployed a flat fast doubles like drive game to negate Alwi Farhan's advantage and defeat the World No 10 21-12, 15-21, 21-10 to make his second successive Super 500 final at the Kumamoto Masters. Sen had not taken even a set off Alwi, but this late season resurgence saw a 70 minute downing of the Indonesian who is on an upclimb and considered the next big thing from Taufik land.

It was also a statement win because Sen played like a Top 10 even if he's hovered around World No 13 this year. Dominating at the net, playing the parallels that the taller Alwi isn't comfortable with and celebrating each winner with a guttural roar, Sen staked his claim on the final spot at the World Tour Finals by reaching the final in Japan.

He had downed Yushi Tanaka yesterday, but Alwi had proven a tougher nut to crack. Sen needs to stave off Koki Watanabe of Japan for a WTF spot. Koki is flying off Japan's good showing in team events, and his final appearance at Japan Open where he picked 9350 points.

Sen picked 10,200 ranking points at All England and 9200 winning Hylo Open last week. Koki defeated World No 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in his semifinal after a 77 minute battle where he trailed 15-18 in the decider. It will be a straight playoff for extra points ahead of next week's Kaohsiung Open where too Sen can pick points.

He skipped the Australian Open this season. "Feels good to play here. Last time I was in semis so was looking to better the result here. Happy with the way I played today. Time to recover and get ready for a very tough match tomorrow," Sen told BWF.

ALSO READ | Smart attack takes Lakshya Sen past Yushi Tanaka and into Kumamoto Masters semis Against Alwi, Sen had taken the opener on a canter almost – which was creditable given he had lost both his earlier matches to the 21-year-old Indonesian with a typically deceptive overhead attack.

What Sen did feistily and defiantly was play a parallel game that his coach Yoo Yong-sung, a former doubles ace, would be proud of. Denying Alwi the altitude in lofted lollipop lifts was key to keeping the Indonesian World No 10 quiet.

Sen relied on fast pushes keeping the shuttle straight and snappy and making it awkward for the attack minded Alwi. The Indian – at World No 13 and maintaining that just-outside-Top 10 bracket – also dominated the net.

Sharp and aggressive, he controlled the rallies mostly keeping Alwi away from positions of attack. His cross racquet lifts were also sheared off pace and the flight that Alwi could smash down. One thing with Indonesians is if you starve them off the attack opportunities they begin to get frustrated and Sen led start to finish taking the first 21-12.

So even after Alwi restored parity in second set taking it 21-15, he was sweating and stewing from not creating positions to whack it down. He smashes in the 390 kph+ range, but Sen had the better smashes with power and depth.

He did amp it up to 422kph too. Especially sending down the lines to Alwi's backhand. The Indonesian's stewing was apparent when he wasted both his challenges in the decider like a profligate. Sen meanwhile, kept getting his winners in, and celebrating even Alwi's impulsive returns sailing out, with a fist pump and roar.

Sen would build himself a really big 16-9 lead in the decider moving swiftly to the net and mowing Alwi's resolve down. His reflex backhand flicks to get to 18-9 was just the sort of momentum he had built. Alwi's shock at how he was throttled in the first stayed on till the end as Sen had gotten into his head.

"It was important I keep the lead in the decider from the beginning today. And when we changed sides it was important to be very sharp in attacking and that helped. The lead went from 4 to 7. Then I was quite comfortable," Sen said.

On Sunday, he will play a more combative opponent in Koki Watanabe, whose speed can be a spot of bother, though Sen has the better shotmaking capabilities. The edge to a season-fading final comes from the neck to neck battle for the WTF spot, though both might sneak in in case of withdrawals.

"I'm not taking so much pressure now because these are good performances. Tomorrow I go with a very free mindset of performing my best and not think too much about results. Really enjoying playing finals again," Sen said.

"After Hylo it was a very tough tournament. I took some time to prepare for this tournament. Back home it was Diwali, a very big festival in India. So I went back home to my family. Really recovered well," he added. Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express.

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