The 14th-seeded Indian, who won a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships, clinched the first game but could not hold on to his lead, as the 18-year-old American, who is 92nd in the world rankings, managed to come back and win 19-21, 21-19, 21-17 after 73 minutes at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt was a good match. I gave a lot of credit to my opponent. He played a very solid game,\u201d Lakshya said after the defeat.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cTowards the third set, both of us were completely exhausted. I think I gave it my all. In the end, it was just not enough to win this match. I am a little bit disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Lakshya had just managed to win the closely contested first game, but Tan took control of the second and forced a decider even though the Indian saved four game points. In the third game, the American's steady net play together with his aggressive smashes continued to trouble Lakshya, who was seven points behind when the ends changed for the final time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Indian then launched a strong fightback and scored six points in a row, which cut the deficit to 10-12. But when Tan was leading 17-15, he needed medical attention and the break seemed to stop Lakshya's momentum. The American then won four of the next six points to achieve the comeback.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cHe was quite dominant throughout the match. I was always playing the covering-up game,\u201d Lakshya said. \u201cI still had my chances. I was always covering up the scores. Eventually, he was taking those points.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI was playing a lot of times under pressure and always trying to play the catch-up game.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Tan\u2019s attacking game also posed a challenge, but Lakshya refused to blame the American\u2019s smashes for his defeat. \u201cNo, I didn\u2019t. Those were good smashes,\u201d he said when asked whether he felt under pressure because of the American\u2019s attacking play.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The conditions also played a role, with Lakshya explaining that neither side of the court offered a significant advantage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI was playing on the least positive side of the court,\u201d he said when asked about his approach on the so-called better side. \u201cBoth sides were pretty even today. All three games were 21-19, 21-19 and 21-17.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think there was a clear advantage on any side today.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI was playing on the least positive side of the court,\u201d he said when asked about his approach on the so-called better side. \u201cBoth sides were pretty even today. All three games were 21-19, 21-19 and 21-17.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe strategies were the same because he was quite solid on his attack and also in his defence. I was not getting many chances. Also, a little bit slower, and you don\u2019t usually get your punch that much. You can\u2019t finish the shots pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n