Paris: Staring at three game points with the sight and stature of a Danish giant across the net, Lakshya Sen came up with a service error. At that very moment, Viktor Axelsen wasn’t thinking anything. He although sensed exactly what Lakshya was.

“He was maybe starting to think: Oh, if I grab this set, then I have the momentum, and I have a big chance’,” Axelsen said. “This was a big thing for him, obviously. I know what the rings does to you mentally.”

For Lakshya, on the cusp of taking one big step towards confirming a medal to go with those rings, the whirlwind of thoughts dragged him down to a whimpering finish.

From 20-17 up against the world No. 2 reigning Olympic champion, India’s 22-year-old lost 22-20, 21-14 on Sunday afternoon in the Paris Olympics men’s singles semi-final. Defeats like these can rankle for days. Lakshya has around 24 hours to sweep this aside and spring back to fight for a medal again on his Olympics debut. This time for the bronze, against Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia on Monday.

“Now is the time to look back at this match, take a few good things and things that I can work on for tomorrow (Monday),” Lakshya, visibly dejected and seemingly out of words, said. “And then, just forget this.”

Can he forget being 17-11 up in the first game? Can he forget that 20-17 moment? Can he forget flying to a 7-0 lead in the second game before being clipped again? Can he forget Alexsen charging away to all corners of the court in pure exaltation after the match?

Straight-faced, Lakshya traced every step of the Dane dash while packing his kit. Perhaps, knowing the kind of champion Alexsen is, it’s a stretch to believe Lakshya could’ve been the one celebrating. Perhaps not, if the champion himself is to be believed.

“I actually think Lakshya played better than I did for large parts of the game. Experience made the difference. He could’ve won the match, but I won the match up here,” Axelsen, placing his left index finger on the temple, said.

The debutant was a bit slow to start off but once his smash began to find accuracy, he got up and running. Lakshya made it 5-5 with a smash that kissed the line, and went to the first break leading 11-9 with a thunderous crosscourt shot.

The Indian had only beaten the Dane once in their previous eight meetings. This felt different. Axelsen sure felt it too.

A misjudged line call followed by an error from him began a run of four straight points for Lakshya. The Indian’s jump smashes were fast bringing the Tokyo champion down, and up he went 18-13. That tall frame wasn’t going to go away easily as Axelsen came roaring back to win the next four points. Lakshya though kept pulling away, another crosscourt smash setting up three game points.

Then came that serve, which fell short after brushing the net. Then a couple more errors which sailed long. Lakshya’s free-flowing play was suddenly chained. Soon enough, the game slipped away after a wide return and a feeble touch into the net.

Those rings, those thoughts, those what-if lookahead moments.

“Again, it’s so natural to think like that. I’ve been there myself,” Axelsen, a two-time Olympic medallist, said. “I think he got a little nervous. And I knew that I had to strike. I have to keep the shot on the court, because then he will maybe make mistakes because of nerves. That’s what happened.”

Lakshya knew it too.

“I had to be maybe a little bit patient at that time, and try out a few things that could’ve gone the other way. But, in that moment, whatever came to my head I did,” he said.

Coach Vimal Kumar first dropped a smile before starting to chat with his player at the break. Mentor Prakash Padukone then took over. They’d know too well squandering a chance like that against a player like Axelsen would cost.

It did, even though the young Indian came out off the blocks in the second game. The body language was still upbeat, Lakshya clenching his fist after winning the second point. He won five more on the bounce for a 7-0 lead until the one-way traffic was halted with an Axelsen return winner.

The Dane was clawing back again, even more rapidly in this game. Lakshya’s yawning gap had been awakened to 11-10. Three points later after a close line call, Axelsen sneaked ahead for the first time in the game. And thus began the march to victory. Axelsen had every answer. Lakshya ran out of ideas.

“Closing the first set was important,” Lakshya said. “Maybe if I had done that, I would’ve had better chances in the third.”

Axelsen, former world No. 1 and Lakshya’s training partner, has no doubt the Indian will get more such chances in the future. Probably even going for a bigger medal at the next Olympics.

For now, in Paris, it is Lakshya going for bronze for a first ever medal by a male in Indian badminton.

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