Lakshya Sen Attributes Success to Self-Confidence After Winning BWF Titles
Lakshya Sen's Remarkable Title Wins
Kumamoto, Japan - November 15: Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen has credited his self-belief for his recent consecutive victories in the BWF Tour, particularly after clinching the Japan Masters title. He aims to perform well at the upcoming Hong Kong Open to secure his position for the BWF World Tour Finals.
Continuing his impressive performance on the BWF World Tour this year, Lakshya triumphed at the Japan Masters on Sunday. In a thrilling final, he overcame Japan's Koki Watanabe with scores of 13-21, 21-18, 21-14, marking a comeback after losing the first game.
Post-match, Lakshya expressed his satisfaction, stating, "Winning here feels fantastic, especially since I reached the semifinals last year. I'm pleased to have improved my results. This is my second consecutive title after the Hylo Open, and I hope to maintain this momentum."
Despite facing challenges, Lakshya managed to secure victory by maintaining his confidence throughout the match. He noted, "The wind in the stadium affected my initial rallies, but I focused on keeping my confidence high and played strategically in the second and third sets."
Looking ahead, Lakshya is determined to secure a top-eight ranking in men's singles to qualify for the World Tour Finals. He remarked, "This tournament is crucial for earning points, and I am now concentrating on the Hong Kong Open starting November 17."
Lakshya acknowledged that his self-confidence was vital for his recent successes, stating, "Even in tough matches where I started behind, I kept believing in myself and continued to fight."
In the semifinals, he defeated Indonesia's Alwi Farhan in a three-game match, advancing to his second consecutive men's singles final at the Japan Masters Super 500 tournament. Lakshya, currently ranked World No. 13, won with scores of 21-12, 15-21, 21-11, enhancing his chances for the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou.
This victory against Farhan marked Lakshya's first win over him, bringing their head-to-head record to 2-1. The eighth-seeded Indian shuttler has shown remarkable form since winning the Hylo Open title, where he defeated Indonesia's Jonatan Christie in straight games, securing his seventh BWF World Tour title.
Following his Hylo Open victory, Lakshya climbed eight spots to 10th in the race for the finals. With these two consecutive titles, he has significantly improved his chances of breaking into the top eight, which is essential for qualifying for the BWF World Tour Finals scheduled from December 9 to 13 in China. Last year, he reached the semifinals of this event but lost to Kenta Nishimoto.