Lakshya Sen overcomes tricky drift to win first round at World Championships

Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen delivered a strong performance to secure a hard-fought win in the opening round of the Badminton World Championships, outpacing Austrian opponent Collins Valentine Filimon 16-21, 21-8, 21-4. While Filimon took the opening game, Sen quickly regained momentum, dominating the next two sets. The Indian player acknowledged the challenge of dealing with the stadium's wind and drift, which affected his net shots in the first game.

However, once he adjusted his strategy in the second game, Sen started asserting himself, pushing his rival in rallies and ultimately gaining the upper hand. In a post-match interview, Sen explained, "There was wind and drift in the stadium and my net shots were not traveling. I was a little apprehensive about the power to put on the shot.

But I changed it in the second game, got my opponent in the rallies and that's where I started dominating." The 21-year-old Indian star entered the tournament to boisterous cheers from the home crowd and showcased his prowess from the very beginning, taking control of the match after the early set.