Badminton, Olympics 2024: Lakshya Sen masterclass sends third seed Jonatan Christie packing

There are two versions of Lakshya Sen you get to see on a badminton court. On some days when he is in the zone, Sen is quick across the court, watertight in defence. He looks unbeatable even.

On others days, he can be sloppy, gifting away points in bulk, looking clueless as the opponent runs away with the match.

On Wednesday, at the La Chapelle Arena, the right version of him showed up. Sen put up a stunning show, leaving spectators mesmerised with his defensive skills as he took down third seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia 21-18, 21-12 at the 2024 Paris Olympics,

The entire contest can possibly be summarised by the shot Sen played to bring up his first game point.

In an intense, fast-paced, flat rally where he was pushed to the back foot, Sen pulled off a remarkable behind-the-back shot. In almost a physics-defying way, the shuttle lobbed back deep into Christie’s forehand corner.

It was, at best, a reflex shot by Sen. A hopeful shot played as a last resort. Usually such a trick shot, just about passes the net, but such was Sen’s power that Christie had to arch back to return.

In-sen shot by Lakshya!! ????#Cheer4Bharat and catch LIVE action now on #Sports18 and stream FREE on #JioCinema????????https://t.co/AOjqOgWpZE#OlympicsOnJioCinema #OlympicsOnSports18 #Cheer4India #Badminton #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/vu8rSfotqs— JioCinema...

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