Lakshya Sen Survives Slow Start, Storms Into Round 2 at BWF World Championships

Lakshya Sen had to fight his way into the BWF World Championships 2026 before producing the kind of dominant badminton that India will expect from its leading men's singles player. 

The 14th-seeded Indian recovered from a difficult opening game against Austria's Collins Filimon to win 16-21, 21-8, 21-4 and advance to the second round in New Delhi on Tuesday.

For Sen, the victory was less about a perfect start and more about how effectively he adapted once he understood the conditions. The 2021 World Championships bronze medallist struggled initially against the 128th-ranked Filimon, but once he settled into the match, the contest changed dramatically.

Sen will next face Garret Tan of the USA in the second round.

The opening game was a test for Sen from the beginning. Playing from what he described as the more difficult side of the court, the Indian was tentative with his lifts and struggled to find the right range on his shots. Filimon, who has a significant height advantage, took full advantage.

The Romania-born Austrian repeatedly used his reach and power to create attacking opportunities, particularly with his big smashes. Sen found himself under pressure and was unable to impose the controlled attacking game that has been one of his strengths.

Filimon eventually secured the opening game 21-16, creating an early concern for the 14th seed. But the setback appeared to trigger an immediate tactical adjustment.

“I was a bit tentative in the first game because I was playing from the difficult side and was struggling to get used to the conditions,” Sen said after the match. The Indian knew that the court conditions would become more favourable after the change of ends. More importantly, he had begun to understand how much pace and power he could generate without overhitting.

The second game was almost an entirely different contest. Sen began to find his range and started dictating rallies instead of reacting to Filimon's attacks. His movement became sharper, his shot selection more controlled and his attacking play increasingly effective.

The turning point came when the Indian led 10-8. Sen then produced an extraordinary run of 11 consecutive points, completely taking the game away from Filimon.

The Austrian, who had looked confident and aggressive in the opening game, suddenly found himself unable to deal with the Indian's increased pace and variation. Sen closed out the second game 21-8, forcing a decider. The transformation was significant. After scoring only 16 points in the opening game, Sen conceded just eight in the second.

The deciding game was even more one-sided. Sen continued to play with controlled aggression, combining attacking shots with better defensive coverage and refusing to give Filimon the time and space he had enjoyed in the opening game. The Indian raced into a substantial lead and changed ends at 11-1.

From there, the outcome was rarely in doubt. Filimon struggled to produce the same level of attacking threat, while Sen continued to find gaps and maintain pressure from the back and mid-court. The Indian eventually completed a 21-4 win in the decider to seal the match in three games.

The final scoreline 16-21, 21-8, 21-4 underlined just how dramatically the momentum shifted after the first game. Sen admitted that once he had settled into the conditions, the match became considerably easier. “But in the second game, I knew that I will be playing from the better side and once I found the range of my shots it was quite easy,” he said.

The victory gives Sen more than just a place in the second round. Playing a competitive opening game against an opponent who was able to exploit the court conditions gave the Indian an opportunity to understand the environment before the more demanding stages of the tournament. The World Championships can often be decided by small adjustments, and Sen's ability to change his approach after losing the opening game will be an encouraging sign.

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He also avoided an extended battle by closing out the third game 21-4, preserving energy for the next round. That could become increasingly important as the tournament progresses.

Sen's next opponent will be Garret Tan of the United States, setting up another opportunity for the Indian to progress deeper into the tournament. As a former World Championships medallist, Sen knows what it takes to perform at this stage of the competition. He also carries considerable expectations as one of India's leading men's singles players.

The first-round victory, however, demonstrated that he is prepared to adapt rather than panic when circumstances do not immediately go his way. The opening game against Filimon was a warning. The response was the statement. Sen went from trailing 16-21 to winning the next two games 42-12.

That turnaround will give the Indian confidence heading into Round 2. With the home crowd behind him and the difficult opening test successfully negotiated, Lakshya Sen's World Championships campaign is up and running.

The next challenge is Garret Tan.

And if Sen can carry the control and attacking precision he displayed in the final two games into the next round, he will have every reason to believe that his campaign in New Delhi can extend well beyond the opening stages.