Paris Olympics 2024: Lakshya Sen undeterred by 'deletion' of opening win, beats Belgium's Carraggi

Indian badminton star  Lakshya Sen showcased his skill by defeating Belgium's Julien Carraggi in straight games during their men's singles group match in the Paris Olympics 2024 badminton competition on Monday.

Forced to make a fresh start after his initial win was wiped from the record books, the resilient Indian ace Lakshya Sen showcased his skill by defeating Belgium's Julien Carraggi in straight games during their men's singles group match in the Paris Olympics 2024 badminton competition on Monday.

The 22-year-old Sen, making his Olympic debut, triumphed over Carraggi 21-19, 21-14 in the Group L match, which lasted 43 minutes.

Sen's victory over Tokyo Olympics semifinalist Kevin Cordon in the opening Group L match on Sunday was annulled after Cordon, from Guatemala, withdrew from the Olympics due to a left elbow injury.

Sen, who won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and bronze at the 2021 World Championships, will compete against third seed, world number three, and reigning Asian champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in his final group match on Wednesday.

This match will determine which of the two players advances in the competition, as only one player from each of the 16 groups will qualify for the pre-quarterfinals.

Sen had a shaky start today, trailing behind his lower-ranked opponent in the first game. However, his tenacity saw him through.

Ranked 18th in the world, Sen was down 8-11 at the first change of ends, with the gap increasing to 8-12.

From there, the Indian youngster mounted a comeback, leveling the score at 18-18 with some impressive smashes.

Sen moved ahead to 19-18, but Carraggi, ranked 52nd in the world, equalized at 19-19. Sen remained composed, winning the next two points to clinch the first game.

"It was a bit hard to find my rhythm in the first game. But I came back and towards the end I stuck in there. I did not try to play a perfect game but I just retrieved more shots and attacked on my chances whenever I could," Sen said after the win.

With the momentum on his side, Sen was unstoppable in the second game.

He quickly surged to an 8-2 lead and extended it to 11-4 by the change of ends, receiving valuable tips from his renowned coaching staff, Prakash Padukone and Vimal Kumar.

The Belgian opponent briefly resisted when the score reached 14-10 in Sen's favor, but the Indian raised his game, making it 18-10 with a powerful smash.

"It was a good match today, especially in the first game, happy with the way I converted (the points). In the second game, I was much more in control. Looking forward to the next game," Sen said.

"Lovely to play in front of such a packed crowd especially a lot of Indian crowd who came to support me," he added.