Signing you in

Things were fast and furious as is, given the Japanese and his intensity tends to be scalding. In the first set of the quarters of the Super 750 at Singapore, Sen had already been faulted once in the opening set as he briefly argued with the chair umpire. Sen’s straight deep smashing had not been enough to offset Watanabe’s brisk angle-changers and quick reactions, as the Indian lost narrowly, with a 21-19 margin. He would receive prolonged instructions from father DK Sen in the break.

His last few enforced errors that handed the set to the Japanese might’ve been playing on his mind as he picked the first point. But when his serve was called for height, an enraged Sen chucked the racquet on the floor in the direction of the chair umpire.

The action would lead to the chair umpire immediately flashing the yellow card at Sen. The service height rule routinely leaves shuttlers incensed, but a reaction like this, isn’t common. Sen, usually a calm customer on court, however didn’t reckon the faultings were justified.

The match had begun unsteadily – prematurely even – after the previous game on Court 1, featuring Malaysian world champions Chen-Toh and Indians Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila was cut short after Toh Ee Wei was wheeled out with a knee injury. The next match on the showcourt hence had to be brought forward.

Sen, after the yellow, played like a man possessed, reeling in both impetuous errors, but mostly agitated, aggressive winners, as he levelled the match at 19-21, 21-15.