Sen saved four game points in the second game of the final to outwit China’s Li Shi Feng by 21-18 22-20, snapping a 17-month wait for a BWF world tour title.
“Coming into the Olympic qualification year, it was tough as things didn’t go my way,” Sen, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, told PTI.
“So this will be one of the good tournaments for me and playing the finals like that is for me one of the greatest comebacks.” Following the high of 2022, Sen endured a low this season after being bothered by the effects of nose surgery that he underwent to treat a deviated septum following the World Championships last August.
His recovery process extended from three months to over eight months and his struggles were reflected in his performance. He made first-round exits from the last four events of 2022 and found the going tough in the early part of 2023.
His ranking also plunged to world number 25 from six.
“I was training well but post-surgery, I was falling sick and immunity was not well, I had a lot of health issues. I couldn’t play 100 per cent. I had prepared well for All England, but again couldn’t do well,” he said.
Sen also had to make some changes around him after Korean coach Yong Sung Yoo left following the 2022 World Championships. He got Anup Sridhar on board and also hired Deckline Leitao, a sport and exercise science specialist.
“Since my Korean coach left, there have been a lot of changes, I have tried different things in training and it is all helping me now,” he said.
“The kind of support system that I have with Anup bhaiya, my physio and I changed my trainer, now I am working with Deckline Leitao.
