Kumamoto, November 15 (Yes Punjab News)
Lakshya Sen staged an impressive comeback to defeat Japan’s Koki Watanabe 13-21, 21-18, 21-14 in the men’s singles final and win the Kumamoto Masters title at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium on Sunday.
The Indian shuttler recovered from losing the opening game to beat the home favourite in one hour and four minutes, becoming the first Indian to win the tournament since its inception in 2023. He had earlier become the first Indian to reach the event’s final.
The triumph marked Sen’s second consecutive BWF Super 500 title, following his victory at the Hylo Open in Germany earlier this month. It was also the first time in his career that he had won two BWF World Tour titles in a single season and took his overall tally to six.
Watanabe dominated the opening game, winning 21-13 without allowing Sen to take the lead. The Indian responded in the second game, building a 13-10 advantage before winning six consecutive points to move ahead 19-10. Watanabe fought back with seven successive points to narrow the gap to 19-17, but Sen held his nerve to take the game 21-18 and force a decider.
The third game began with both players trading points. Sen gradually took control after the score was level at 5-5, opening up an 11-7 lead at the interval before closing out the match 21-14.
Sen had progressed through his first three rounds in straight games before overcoming sixth seed Alwi Farhan in a three-game semifinal. Sunday’s victory marked his third BWF Tour final of the year, following his runner-up finish at the All England Open in March and his two successive Super 500 titles.
The Kumamoto Masters victory earned Sen 9,200 ranking points and strengthened his bid to qualify for the BWF World Tour Finals 2026 in Hangzhou.
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