Lakshya’s fighting spirit is remarkable, Australian Open will boost his confidence: Vimal Kumar

New Delhi, Nov 23 (PTI) Impressed by Lakshya Sen’s fighting spirit, former India coach Vimal Kumar said the Australian Open crown has come at the perfect moment and will inject confidence in him ahead of the upcoming season.

Lakshya produced a commanding performance in the final of the Australian Open Super 500 on Sunday to beat Japan’s Yushi Tanaka in the men’s singles final 21-15, 21-11 in Sydney.

“I’m truly delighted for Lakshya. This victory was long overdue and so well deserved. What has impressed me the most over his last three tournaments is the remarkable fighting spirit he has shown,” Vimal said.

“I was a little worried when he had fever the night before his semifinal against Chou Tien, but he showed tremendous grit and composure,” he added.

With this triumph, Lakshya ended a tough phase on the international circuit as he had last won a Super 300 title at the Syed Modi International in Lucknow in 2024.

A winner of the bronze medal in 2021 World Championships, Lakshya had not won a title across competitions since the Canada Open in 2024. The closest he reached to a trophy was in the final of the Hong Kong Open Super 500 this year in September, before finishing as a runner-up.

Vimal said Lakshya, who has been through a challenging period since finishing fourth in the Paris Olympics, played in the summit clash in Sydney with calmness and confidence.

“Today, he played with such calmness and confidence. From the very start, he stayed solid in the long rallies with the Japanese player, and that completely dented his opponent’s belief,” said Vimal, who has been Lakshya's mentor since his younger days and was at the coaching chair along with Prakash Padukone at the Paris Olympics.

“It was also wonderful to see him timing his big smashes so well and scoring freely with them, unsettling a player who usually thrives on getting everything back,” Vimal added.

Vimal said the victory in Sydney would bolster Lakshya’s preparations for the next season.

“This win is a timely boost for Lakshya and the entire team as they enter an important five-week phase of preparation for the new season, beginning with the Malaysian Open in January, followed by the India Open and Indonesia Open,” he said. PTI ATK DDV UNG