In the decisive round of the opening match at India Open on Tuesday, Priyanshu Rajawat displayed a determined focus, having navigated the pressure in the previous game to even the scoreline against his close friend, Lakshya Sen. Priyanshu asserted control by securing three consecutive points in the third game, maintaining a substantial lead that visibly frustrated Lakshya. Despite a spirited effort from Lakshya, who intensified his gameplay and narrowed the gap to 7-10, Priyanshu’s moment of brilliance came with a remarkable cross-court smash that penetrated Lakshya’s defence. Lakshya loudly grunted and released his racquet, which slid across the court.
That’s when Rajawat knew the match was firmly in his grasp.
In an all-India fixture on the opening day of the premier home tournament, Rajawat emerged on top as Lakshya’s poor form continued. In a gruelling hour-and-15-minutes-long match on Court 2, Rajawat prevailed 16-21, 21-16, 21-13 against Lakshya, who faced his second-successive first-round loss this year.
At 21, Rajawat has been on the circuit for quite some time, training alongside prominent players such as Lakshya and HS Prannoy. His breakthrough moment, however, came in April of the previous year when he clinched victory at the Orleans Masters. This campaign also included a notable straight-game win over Japan’s star shuttler, Kenta Nishimoto. However, Rajawat’s journey has been marked by maintaining consistency in his performances, a hurdle accentuated by back swelling that plagued his progress a little over the last month.
“After Orleans, I gained a lot of confidence. But I suffered a back injury afterwards and missed a lot of tournaments. Over the past months, I wanted to ensure I didn’t get injured again. This tournament is important for me. I will also try to win against Prannoy bhai,” Rajawat said in the post-match press conference following his first win over Lakshya, whom he considers a ‘brother’.
Prannoy had a contrasting outing against Chinese Taipei’s Chou tien-Chen, beating the 34-year-old in straight games (21-9, 21-19) to proceed to the second round.
The last meeting between Rajawat and Lakshya was also a three-game affair at the Japan Open 2023, where the latter pulled a strong comeback after losing the first game 15-21. However, Rajawat learnt from his mistakes this time and didn’t allow a momentum shift, even as Lakshya tried to counter-attack in the final game. “When I was leading 9-1, it felt like he was on the back foot. But then, he won four successive points. I took a break because I realised I was handing him points. I realised I had to slow the pace of my game,” explained Rajawat.
The preparation for a potential rematch with Lakshya appeared to be underway right from the moment Rajawat experienced a defeat at the hands of his friend in Japan. The lingering sting of that loss was palpable as Rajawat reflected on the round-of-32 clash from the previous year, going so far as to express that it was a match he had firmly within control at one juncture.
“I was prepared. I wanted to win today. Because last time, it was a close defeat, and I was pretty upset. After losing the first game today, I was firm that I didn’t want to let go of the second and third games.
“I could have won the last time. I was leading 18-14 in the third game. From there, Lakshya mounted a comeback. This time, I didn’t want to take anything lightly. Even when I was leading in the third game, I knew he could always make a comeback. That’s why I wanted to end the game quickly.”
‘Orleans still my best’
Rajawat may have toppled one of India’s leading men’s singles players, but the win at Orleans remains closer to his heart.
“I would still rate Orleans as my best win. Because it was my first, I hadn’t won any tournament before that. But, yes, this win is very important for me, too. I’m playing with seniors, which is helping my game,” says Rajawat.
Treesa/Gayatri out
Among other Indians on Day 1 of the India Open, Kiran George faced a defeat with a score of 12-21, 15-21 against Wang Tzu Wei from Chinese Taipei. Meanwhile, in the women’s doubles category, the pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand narrowly lost with a scoreline of 21-18, 14-21, 13-21 against the Japanese duo Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida, who are currently ranked fourth in the world.
The Panda sisters – Rutaparna and Swetaparna Panda – also faced a disappointing 6-21, 7-21 defeat to Hong Kong’s Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam.
