Dutch Open 2019: Lakshya Sen takes first step towards becoming next 'Great Indian Hope' with maiden World Tour title
FirstpostFor Lakshya, it was a big step up from the capture of the men’s singles title at the Belgian International, a Challenger-level tournament, at the expense of Denmark’s Victor Svendsen. Eighteen-year -old Lakshya Sen’s first World Tour title, the Dutch Open Super 100 championship at Almere in The Netherlands, on Sunday at the expense of Japan’s Yusuke Onodera by a 15-21, 14-21, 21-15 scoreline in three minutes over the hour mark. #MssionOlympics #Mission2024#IndiaontheRise #badminton pic.twitter.com/ZgrUK7or90 — BAI Media October 13, 2019 The Japanese shuttler, who turned out to be one of three qualifiers to bag a semi-final spot in the Dutch Open, had fought his way through a solitary qualifying round, and then taken in his stride the top seed of the men’s singles, India’s 17th ranked Sameer Verma, in the third round by a 21-18, 19-21, 21-14 verdict. At this year’s $75,000 prize money Dutch Open, two players ranked in the top 25 – Sameer Verma and Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke competed, as also six others ranked in the top 50, including Caljouw, Sourabh Verma and Frenchman Lucas Corvee. “He provides valuable inputs to our best players; and was in fact responsible for telling Lakshya to slow down at the midpoint of the second game in the Dutch Open final against Onodera, and conserve his energy for the rest of the match.” The inability to husband his resources wisely is one of the few shortcomings that the DPCE coach feels are coming in the way of his being openly heralded as the next Great Indian Hope.