Kumamoto: India’s Lakshya Sen triumphed over former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore to advance to the semifinals of the Japan Masters, a BWF World Tour Super 500 event, held at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium on Friday. Sen achieved a 21-13, 21-17 victory against the world No. 9 Loh in 40 minutes. This marks Sen’s seventh victory against Loh in their ten career encounters. He is set to face Japan’s world No. 13 Kenta Nishimoto for a chance to compete in the final.
After a balanced start, Sen took control of the first game with a decisive six-point streak, part of a larger series that saw him win nine of the next ten points, moving from a 9–8 score to a commanding 18–9 lead. Despite Loh’s attempt to rally late in the game, Sen comfortably finished the game to take the lead in the match. The second game featured both competitors increasing the pace, resulting in thrilling exchanges. Early on, at 1–1, they engaged in a demanding 41-shot rally, which Loh won. However, Sen regained control by scoring eight consecutive points around the interval, establishing a 15–9 lead.
Although he allowed Loh to narrow the gap to 11–15, Sen quickly reasserted dominance and won a critical rally at 17–13 to disrupt Loh’s momentum. Loh mounted an impressive comeback to tie the score, but after a lengthy 42-shot rally, the longest of the match, Sen surged ahead at 20–17 and clinched the win with a powerful smash. Sen remains the only Indian badminton player left in the tournament after HS Prannoy exited following a straight-games loss in the second round on Thursday. Prannoy, ranked sixth in badminton two years ago before injuries and chikungunya affected his career, lost 21-18, 21-15 to Denmark’s 30th-ranked Rasmus Gemke in 46 minutes.
India’s hopes in the doubles and women’s singles events concluded on Wednesday.
