Lakshya Sen storms into Australian Open final
Sydney (PTI): Star Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen stormed into the men's singles final of the Australian Open Super 500 on Saturday with a gritty three-game win over world number six Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei.
Showing mental toughness, Lakshya recovered from an opening-game setback and saved three match points in the second game to register a 17-21, 24-22, 21-16 win over second seed Taiwanese in an 86-minute semifinal.
The 24-year-old, who reached the Hong Kong Open final earlier this year but is yet to win a title this season, will face Japan's Yushi Tanaka in the summit clash.
Tanaka defeated Chinese Taipei's fifth seed Lin Chun-Yi 21-18 21-15 in the other semifinal.
Lakshya looked patchy early on while Chen was far more precise with his shot selection and execution, which allowed the Taiwanese to dominate the rallies. His steady play earned him a 11-6 lead at mid-game interval.
Chen's aggressive backcourt attack paid off as he raced to 14-7 advantage. Lakshya briefly halted the run with a big smash to the deep corner, but Chen immediately won back the serve with a sharp cross-court winner.
The Indian kept feeding shuttles into Chen’s hitting zone, and the Taiwanese repeatedly unleashed his power smashes.
A net error from Lakshya made it 19-13 before Chen, who had committed a few soft mistakes, steadied himself again. At 19-15, the two played a 44-shot rally that ended with Chen delivering a killing blow to earn five game points.
Lakshya saved two, but then drove one into the net to concede the opener.
After the change of ends, both players took time to adjust, trading errors as the score moved from 2-2 to 4-4. Chen’s pinpoint attacks began clicking again as he pulled ahead 7-4.
But Lakshya fought back superbly, levelling at 9-9 with Chen’s defence beginning to fray. The Taiwanese’s aggression softened and his accuracy dipped as Lakshya applied pressure to take an 11-9 lead with a fine net shot.
Chen clawed back to 12-all after Lakshya pushed a smash wide. At 14-13, Lakshya showcased his defensive grit with a series of exceptional saves before finishing the point with a smash.
Chen won another attacking exchange and moved to 16-17 after Lakshya lost point on net chord. The Taiwanese made it 17-all with a smash around the Indian’s hips and then edged ahead when Lakshya hit the net.
Lakshya sent one ballooning long and followed it with another mis-hit to hand Chen two match points.
But the Indian responded with a deep-corner winner, and Chen then hit the tape to make it 20-20. A tight net duel saw Chen claim his third match point, only to send the next shuttle long as the scores were levelled again.
Lakshya earned a game point with a smash that clipped the line. Chen saved it with a smash of his own, but the Indian grabbed a second opportunity with another brilliant winner and roared back into the match when Chen went long.
The difference in age seemed to come into play as a 24-year-old Lakshya looked more fresher than the 35-year-old Chen, whose movement grew laboured and errors mounted in the decider.
Lakshya raced to a 6-1 lead as Chen struggled for precision. Lakshya's length improved, his net game turned sharper, and he read Chen far better.
Chen's authority, which he had shown in the opening game, dissipated as Lakshya extended his lead to 10-5. He entered the interval 11-6 after Chen went long again.
The Indian extended it to 14-7 ahead. A service error from Chen pushed Lakshya to 17-9, and a crisp cross-court smash earned him eight match points. Chen saved four but eventually netted the shuttle, as Lakshya sealed an impressive comeback victory.
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Speaker Khader dismisses BJP's charges of 'delay' in swearing-in of Jeevaraj as MLA
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Wednesday rejected opposition BJP's allegations of delaying the swearing-in of D N Jeevaraj as MLA, asserting that the process was being handled strictly in accordance with constitutional provisions and rules.
BJP candidate Jeevaraj, who had lost the 2023 Sringeri Assembly election to Congress leader T D Raje Gowda, was declared elected late Sunday night after reverification and recounting of postal ballots in compliance with a High Court order.
The recount reduced 255 votes from Gowda's tally, overturning his earlier victory margin of 201 votes and reversing the result.
The recount followed an election petition filed by Jeevaraj.
Addressing reporters, Khader maintained that there was no delay in administering the oath to Jeevaraj, who was declared elected from the Sringeri Assembly constituency after a High Court-ordered recount of postal ballots.
“Where have we delayed? The application was submitted at 11 am. If an application is given in the morning and by evening someone says it’s delayed — how is that a delay?” he said, dismissing the allegations.
The Speaker said the matter involved 'technical issues' that required examination before fixing a date for oath-taking.
“When such a matter comes, we also need to examine it and take a decision as per rules. If an application is given in the morning, at least 24 hours must be given,” he said.
Khader stressed that his role was bound by the Constitution and not influenced by political considerations.
“When an elected MLA asks for time, we must give it under the Constitution and law. Can we refuse? No, we have to give it,” he said, rejecting suggestions that he was acting under party pressure.
He also underlined the need for trust in democratic institutions amid the controversy.
“A democracy and parliamentary system must function on trust. Without that, how can democracy be strengthened? Trust is essential,” he said, cautioning against creating suspicion around constitutional positions.
On claims that the delay was linked to the ongoing political and legal dispute over the recount, Khader said the issue did not fall within his purview.
“My responsibility is to act as per the Constitution and rules. I will ensure that whatever is due to them is done as soon as possible,” the Speaker explained.
He said he had already communicated his position when contacted and would formally inform the concerned parties. “There is no delay, nor any intention to delay. I will discharge my duties as per the Constitution,” he said.
Khader also pointed to possible legal complications in hastily administering the oath.
“If I give the oath to one person and tomorrow the court declares someone else the winner, what happens then? Will it automatically cancel? Will confusion arise?” he asked, indicating the need for due diligence.
On concerns that Jeevaraj had lost over two years of tenure, the Speaker said representation was linked to that constituency rather than an individual.
“Whoever becomes the MLA represents the constituency. Benefits are not given to an individual,” he said, adding that issues of alleged irregularities should be examined by the Election Commission.
The remarks come after the Leader of Opposition BJP in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka on Wednesday accused the Speaker of 'deliberately' delaying the oath and approached Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot seeking intervention, even suggesting that the Governor administer the oath if required.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah termed the process 'Vote Dacoity' by Jeevaraj and said an FIR has been registered against the newly elected Sringeri MLA.
Defending the recount process, Jeevaraj denied allegations of tampering, while the High Court has stayed an FIR filed against him in connection with the postal ballot issue.
