Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth Shine at Japan 2026 Badminton Tournament
Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth Progress to Pre-Quarterfinals
In a thrilling start to the Keumamoto Masters Japan 2026 badminton tournament, India's Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth secured their spots in the men's singles pre-quarterfinals on Wednesday. Lakshya, seeded eighth, triumphed over Chi Yu Jen from Chinese Taipei with scores of 21-19, 21-18 in a match that lasted 49 minutes at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium. Currently ranked 10th in the qualification standings, Lakshya aims to break into the top eight to qualify for the BWF World Tour Finals.
Lakshya Sen's Tenacious Performance
Lakshya faced a tough opponent in Chi Yu Jen, who initially led 14-10 in the first game. However, Lakshya rallied back, winning four consecutive points to tie the score at 16-all. The game remained competitive, reaching 19-all before Lakshya clinched the final two points to secure the first game. The second game mirrored the first, with Chi Yu Jen leading 17-16 late in the match. Lakshya then surged ahead, winning three points in a row to finish the match in straight games. He will next compete against Dong Tian Yao from China in the round of 16.
Kidambi Srikanth's Remarkable Comeback
Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth also showcased his skills by defeating Denmark's Rasmus Gemke in a gripping match that lasted one hour and eight minutes, with scores of 18-21, 21-16, 24-22. Srikanth started strong, leading by five points at the interval, but Gemke fought back to win the first game. The second game was tightly contested, with Gemke initially leading 14-11. Srikanth then executed a remarkable comeback, scoring seven consecutive points to force a deciding game. In the final game, Srikanth saved two match points and leveled the score at 20-all before winning the last two points to complete his comeback. He will face fifth seed Kodai Naraoka from Japan in the next round.
Results from Other Indian Players
In mixed doubles, the duo of Dhruv Rawat and Maneesha K put up a valiant effort against the fourth-seeded pair of Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan from Chinese Taipei but ultimately lost 16-21, 21-14, 21-14. Olympians Tanisha Crasto and Hariharan Amsakarunan also faced defeat, falling 21-7, 21-9 to the top-seeded Chinese pair of Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin. Looking ahead, World Championships bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are set to compete against Japan's third seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in the women's doubles round of 16. In men's doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun will challenge Japan's Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi for a chance to reach the quarter-finals.