Since leading by a game – and then some – against Viktor Axelsen in the semifinals of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, things haven’t gone Lakshya Sen’s way. He lost five matches in a row from there, including the two heartbreaks in Paris. On Wednesday in Shenzhen at the China Masters Super 750, he finally won another match on the tour. And it was Lakshya’s heartbreaker Lee Zii Jia in front, as the Indian prevailed 21-14, 13-21, 21-13 in an entertaining 57-minute clash.

In a match that swung one way then the other, Lakshya started superbly in an opening game where he pulled off some miraculous escape acts during rallies. Lee dominated the second game to easily force the decider, but in Game 3, Lakshya kept pulling away from 5-5 to end a string of early exits on tour.

“Feels good to win a match after a really long time,” Lakshya said after the match. “Things have been a little bit up and down post the Olympics. I’m still trying to get back to my full fitness. I took a break a little bit from the usual. Slowly getting back into the circuit. A couple of tough few (first-round exits) before this event. But yeah, I’m happy with the way I played today and just stuck in.”

Being effectively just 21 points away from assuring India a first historic medal in men’s singles against Viktor Axelsen and then Lee, Lakshya didn’t convert his chances. He came so close to the podium, and still at the end of it, it felt far. And after beating the Malaysian, he revealed it was still hurting him.

“It was a tough tournament. In a way, it gave me a lot of positives as well. I think having come that close, it still hurts a bit,” Lakshya said. “I feel it’s still going to hurt for some time. I’m trying to really push myself to be a better badminton player overall. I’m just trying to get back to my fitness, a few niggles here and there, just trying to manage that. Trying to build myself really strong so that I can play the next season really well.”

Given that a spot in the season-ending World Tour Finals is already out of the question, Lakshya said he was just hoping for a good few results to close out the year, and his focus will immediately shift to building up for events like Malaysia Open and All England early next year.