New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS) India’s ace shuttler Lakshya Sen believes the men’s singles field at the BWF World Championships is too evenly matched to identify a clear favourite, with the Indian choosing instead to back his own preparation as the tournament gets underway here on Monday.
With the World Championships being staged on home soil, Sen is also looking to use the familiarity of the conditions and the support of the home crowd to make a deep run, while stressing the importance of getting his campaign off to a strong start.
“I would say everybody has got a chance. As of now, I can’t pinpoint anyone. I believe in myself to do well,” Lakshya told reporters in the mixed zone at the IG Stadium here on Sunday
Rather than making major technical changes, the Indian said his focus has been on maintaining his physical level and entering the tournament fresh and sharp.“Yes, we got around three to four weeks before we played the last tournament. And yes, the match practice was good. We were already in the season, so we didn’t have that much time to do much. But again, I kept working on the physical aspect of my game. Just trying to maintain it. And then, towards the end of the tournament, being very sharp on court and having more match practice. That is something that I am working on,” he stated.
For Sen, the opening rounds will carry particular importance. With the men’s singles competition expected to be closely contested, he does not want to allow an opponent to settle into the tournament before he finds his own rhythm.
“No, I think I have coaches. I sit with them and I prepare for a plan on how to go about the match. And be very specific about the player. And then, yeah, just tournaments like this, it’s important to get a good start. First rounds are even more important. Even if you feel it’s a lower-ranked player, you don’t want to end up in a situation where you are under pressure. You got to start well. First rounds are even more, I would say, you put a lot of focus on to get a good rhythm into the tournament,” Lakshya said.
The Indian also explained why he tends to raise his level at the biggest tournaments of the season. With the international calendar demanding a sustained physical effort, Sen said his preparation is geared towards peaking specifically for weeks such as the World Championships.
“Yes, I mean, try to peak during these weeks of the year, to be specific. And, yeah, when you are playing so many tournaments, it’s hard at times to be at your physical best or your playing best. But, yeah, I mean, these are the tournaments you want to come in with a very sharp approach and be very fresh for the tournament. So, that is what I prepare for with my whole team,” he mentioned.
Sen said the Indian contingent can draw confidence from the home support, while the extended time spent training at the venue has also allowed the players to become familiar with the surroundings.
“My first World Championship was a very good experience. Even in the last world championships I played, some were good, some were not so good. But I feel that, especially for Indian players, the home crowd gives us an advantage. We have been practising here for a long time. Even now, I am very excited to play this tournament. Especially, this is happening in India, in Delhi. So, yes, I want to give my best and enjoy the tournament in front of my home crowd. I think it is a very good feeling, and I am very excited for this tournament,” he added.
The conditions, however, could change once competition begins and the stands fill up. Sen said that the shuttle may behave differently with a crowd inside the arena, making adaptability an important part of his approach.
“Yes, we played at the practice timing. But again, once the crowd comes in, the shuttle will behave differently. So you just have to adapt to it. But I mean, it looks pretty similar. But yes, the overall conditions of the tournament have been very good. Once the first-round matches start, in the second round we will also get a better sense of the court conditions. And yes, looking forward to it,” Lakshya concluded.
–IANS
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