Tall and tall, the 28-year-old Dane took a 6-0 lead in the first game, winning three of them with powerful smashes. Sen returned with two smashes of his own, but with errors, forcefully and unexpectedly, he largely surrendered the game.
Ranked 11th in the world, Sen’s net-play, which is his strength, was neutralized by Axelsen lobbying instead to take him into such a duel. The delicate dribbles of the Indian team that troubled the opponents in the first round were missing.
Despite serving in the first game, in the second game as well, Sen went 0–3 this time before joining the board. But he persevered, winning an energy-critical 70-shot rally to narrow the score to 11-17.
Axelsen, the world No. 1 player for 67 consecutive weeks and a fourth consecutive All-England veteran, looked exhausted at the end of the second game. But he had enough in the tank to smash it wide enough.
Sen displayed speed and a solid defense, but his high shots were often punished with thunderous smashes. Leading 10–5 in the second game, Axelsen had to smash three times to secure the win.
Sen defeated Axelsen in three games – 21-13, 12-21, 22-20 – in the semi-finals of the German Open last week. But on this occasion, he was no match for an opponent who kept the offensive from start to finish – going over the edge with impeccable accuracy. His repertoire of soft and tough slices, deceptively feathered and sometimes piercing smashes was not in effective performance.
Some in the UK’s second largest city raised their voice in the indoor arena, encouraging Sen with ‘Come on India’. But they are drowned out by Axelson’s supporters, among whom were his fiancé and newborn daughter.
Prakash Padukone in 1980 and Pullela Gopichand in 2001 are the only two Indians to have won the All-England title. A little glimpse of the former appeared in the touching play of Padukone’s disciple, Sen. He certainly has the makings of a future world champion.