Shi Yuqi after losing to Lakshya Sen: ‘Hadn’t played for long, also back injury and wrist discomfort’

He added that he had also faced issues with his wrist, on a day when Sen used his snap-wrist to deadly effect. “There was e discomfort inmy wrist as well. So in general I’m not in my best form. And I only had one week practice before this,” Yuqi told BWF.

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Sen’s superior movement and retrieving combined with an assured attack, and snappy hits that went fast and far with a whippy wrist. Yuqi though thought both made several errors. “We both made quite a few mistakes, but I think I’ve tried to play the best of what I could in this match.”

“He [Lakshya] was timing the smash well and that made a huge impact. Shi was not expecting really hard smashes from Lakshya today,” coach Vimal Kumar said.

The coach lauded his ward for staying very calm and composed. He added: “Right from the start, he made Shi work hard for every single point, and eventually the Chinese player began to tire. Overall, it was a very confidence-boosting win. Lakshya’s Holi gift for Indian Badminton today.”

Two of the top 8 seeds exited on the first day, with French Alex Lanier going down 21-12, 21-23, 23-21 to Victor Lai.