Lakshya Sen is playing ruthless badminton. The 25-year-old Indian dismantled Indonesia's world No. 10 Alwi Farhan 21-12, 15-21, 21-11 on Saturday, charging into the men's singles final at the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500. He needed three games. Farhan fought back hard in the middle stanza, but Sen slammed the door shut with a punishing blitz in the decider.
The victory catapults the eighth-seeded Indian into his second consecutive tournament final, coming hot on the heels of his championship run at the Hylo Open in Germany. More importantly, it keeps his postseason dreams burning bright. Sen will battle either Japan's Koki Watanabe or Thailand's second-seeded Kunlavut Vitidsarn in Sunday's title clash.
Sen dictated terms right from the opening serve. Moving with electric speed across the court, the world No. 13 picked apart Farhan's defenses, forcing rapid errors to take the opening game 21-12.
Farhan retaliated. The sixth seed tightened his net play and pushed Sen deep into the backcourt, clawing back the second game 21-15 to level the contest.
Yet Sen refused to blink. Stepping onto the court for the third game, the Indian cranked up the tempo. He attacked the corners, killed off weak lifts, and raced away to an insurmountable lead. Farhan had no reply as Sen sealed the 21-11 rout.
| Stage | Opponent | Ranking / Seeding | Scoreline | Duration / Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal | Yushi Tanaka (JPN) | Unseeded | 21-16, 21-15 | 40 minutes |
| Semifinal | Alwi Farhan (INA) | World No. 10 / Seed 6 | 21-12, 15-21, 21-11 | Won in 3 games |
| Final | Koki Watanabe (JPN) / Kunlavut Vitidsarn (THA) | World No. 15 / Seed 2 | Scheduled Sunday | Title Decider |
The stakes in Kumamoto stretch far beyond a single trophy. Sen is hunting a ticket to the prestigious, season-ending BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China.
Sen's route to the Kumamoto semifinal was equally decisive. On Friday, he dispatched local favorite Yushi Tanaka 21-16, 21-15 in a brisk 40-minute quarterfinal, commanding the baseline and extinguishing Japan's home hopes.
While Sen surged, veteran compatriot Kidambi Srikanth suffered a bitter collapse in his quarterfinal tie.
The former world No. 1 stumbled out against Japan's world No. 15 Koki Watanabe, losing 22-24, 15-21 in a 49-minute grind. Srikanth held a commanding six-point cushion in the second game. Then his game unravelled. Unforced errors mounted, Watanabe pounced on the openings, and Srikanth watched his lead evaporate before conceding the match in straight games.
The exit abruptly halted Srikanth's momentum after his sensational upset over world No. 8 and two-time World Championship silver medallist Kodai Naraoka in the earlier rounds.
All eyes now pivot to Sen on Sunday as he attempts to secure back-to-back international titles and seal his march toward Hangzhou.