New Delhi: India’s Lakshya Sen continued his impressive run by defeating Indonesia’s world No. 10 Alwi Farhan in three games to enter the men’s singles final of the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 badminton tournament on Saturday.
The world No. 13 registered a convincing 21-12, 15-21, 21-11 victory over the sixth-seeded Indonesian to reach his second consecutive final after recently claiming the Hylo Open title. The victory has also strengthened his chances of qualifying for the BWF World Tour Finals, scheduled to be held in Hangzhou.
Lakshya, seeded eighth in Japan, is currently 12th in the World Tour Finals Race with 64,980 points. He needs to finish among the top eight to secure a place in the season-ending tournament. A title victory in Kumamoto would earn him 9,200 ranking points, while a runner-up finish would add 7,800 points, potentially taking him into the qualification zone.
The Indian will face either Japan’s Koki Watanabe or Thailand’s second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the final.
The semifinal victory was particularly significant as Lakshya had lost both his previous encounters against Farhan without winning a single game.
Lakshya began the contest confidently, taking control of the opening game through accurate returns and patient rally construction. He maintained his advantage throughout and comfortably secured the game 21-12.
Farhan responded strongly in the second game, taking advantage of Lakshya’s unforced errors to establish a commanding lead. Despite a brief fightback from the Indian, the Indonesian levelled the match by winning the game 21-15.
However, Lakshya raised his intensity in the deciding game. He dominated the rallies, delivered powerful smashes and capitalised on Farhan’s mistakes to establish a substantial lead.
Maintaining his composure in the closing stages, Lakshya converted his match points with a powerful winner to seal the 21-11 victory and book his place in the final.
