Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth Enter Kumamoto Masters Pre-Quarter-Finals After Impressive Wins

KUMAMOTO, Nov 12: India’s leading badminton players Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth advanced to the men’s singles pre quarter finals of the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2026 after registering important victories in their respective opening-round matches on Wednesday.

Eighth-seeded Lakshya produced a composed performance to defeat Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen 21-19, 21-18, while former world number one Kidambi Srikanth staged an impressive recovery to overcome Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke 18-21, 21-16, 24-22.

The victories provided a positive start to India’s campaign at the BWF Super 500 competition being held at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium in Japan.

Both players faced challenging opponents but demonstrated the experience and determination required to progress through the opening round. Lakshya relied on his consistency and ability to recover from difficult positions, while Srikanth displayed considerable resilience after finding himself close to elimination in the deciding game.

Lakshya entered the tournament with considerable confidence following his title-winning performance at the Hylo Open in Germany earlier this month. His recent success has strengthened his position among India’s leading men’s singles players and provided momentum ahead of the Japanese competition.

The Indian started his encounter against Chi Yu Jen with an aggressive approach but faced resistance from the Chinese Taipei shuttler, who managed to establish an early advantage.

Chi demonstrated good control over the rallies and used accurate placement to put Lakshya under pressure. The Indian struggled to close the gap initially, allowing his opponent to move ahead 14-10 before extending the advantage to 16-12.

However, Lakshya responded strongly when the opening game appeared to be slipping away. He improved his shot selection, maintained greater control over the exchanges and secured four consecutive points to bring the contest level at 16-16.

The momentum gradually shifted towards the Indian as he began finding openings in Chi’s defence.

Both players continued exchanging points during the closing stages, with the score reaching 19-19. Lakshya then demonstrated composure by winning the next two points to secure the opening game 21-19.

The second game followed a similarly competitive pattern, with neither player managing to establish a comfortable lead.

Chi continued to challenge the eighth seed through consistent rallies and effective court coverage. He briefly moved ahead 17-16 during the closing stages, creating another opportunity to take the contest into a deciding game.

Lakshya, however, responded at the right moment.

The Indian raised his intensity, won three successive points to move ahead 19-17 and maintained his advantage through the final exchanges. He eventually secured the game 21-18, completing a straight-games victory in 49 minutes.

The result extended Lakshya’s head-to-head advantage over Chi to 2-1 and ensured that he progressed to the next round without dropping a game.

His performance also highlighted the importance of remaining patient when opponents gain an early advantage. Rather than attempting to finish rallies too quickly, Lakshya concentrated on improving his positioning and waiting for opportunities to attack.

The Indian will next face China’s Dong Tianyao in the men’s singles round of 16. The upcoming encounter is expected to provide another demanding test as Lakshya attempts to maintain his winning momentum.

Srikanth’s victory, meanwhile, was considerably more dramatic.

The experienced Indian faced Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke in a contest that lasted one hour and eight minutes. After losing the opening game, Srikanth recovered to win the next two and secure his place in the pre-quarter-finals.

The match began positively for Srikanth, who established a five-point advantage at the interval of the opening game. However, Gemke gradually recovered through controlled attacking play and improved defensive coverage.

The Danish player reduced the deficit, eventually drawing level at 14-14 before keeping the pressure on his Indian opponent.

Gemke also managed to restore parity at 17-17 and subsequently won four of the next five points to take the opening game 21-18.

Srikanth needed a strong response in the second game to prevent an early exit.

The contest remained closely fought, with Gemke once again taking control and moving ahead 14-11. At that stage, Srikanth appeared to be struggling to impose his preferred style of play.

However, the Indian produced an impressive sequence of seven consecutive points to turn the game around.

His improved movement and attacking accuracy allowed him to take control of the rallies, leaving Gemke struggling to respond. Srikanth moved ahead 18-14 before eventually closing the game 21-16.

The victory in the second game forced a decider and set up an intense finish.

The third game proved to be the most competitive part of the encounter, with both players attempting to secure control through aggressive shot-making and defensive recovery.

Gemke appeared close to completing the victory when he established a 19-15 advantage. Srikanth was suddenly facing elimination, with the Danish player requiring only two more points to book his place in the next round.

The Indian, however, refused to surrender.

Srikanth produced a determined comeback, saving two match points and bringing the score level at 20-20. The contest continued with both players exchanging points, eventually reaching 22-22.

At this crucial stage, Srikanth demonstrated his experience by winning the next two points to seal the deciding game 24-22.

The comeback victory was an important achievement for the 33-year-old, who has continued competing at the highest level despite facing several challenges during the later stages of his career.

His ability to recover from a four-point deficit in the deciding game demonstrated his competitive determination and experience in handling high-pressure situations.

Srikanth will now face Japan’s fifth-seeded Kodai Naraoka in the round of 16. The Japanese player represents a significant challenge, particularly given his ability to maintain long rallies and apply pressure through consistent defensive play.

The Indian will need to maintain the attacking intensity he displayed during the second and third games against Gemke.

While the men’s singles results provided encouragement, India’s mixed doubles campaign suffered setbacks on Wednesday.

The Indian pair of Dhruv Rawat and Maneesha K faced Chinese Taipei’s fourth-seeded combination of Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan. Despite winning the opening game, the Indian duo eventually lost 21-16, 14-21, 14-21.

The defeat ended their campaign in the opening round after a competitive start.

Olympian Tanisha Crasto and Hariharan Amsakarunan also experienced an early exit. They were defeated 21-7, 21-9 by China’s top-seeded pair of Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin.

The Chinese combination demonstrated considerable superiority throughout the match, controlling the rallies and preventing the Indian duo from establishing an effective attacking rhythm.

The results highlighted the challenges facing Indian players across different categories at the Super 500 tournament.

However, the progress of Lakshya and Srikanth ensured that India’s men’s singles campaign remained firmly on track.

The tournament also carries importance for players seeking to improve their world rankings and strengthen their qualification prospects for the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals.

Lakshya, who was positioned 10th in the qualification standings ahead of the competition, is aiming to break into the top eight and secure a place in the prestigious year-end tournament.

His recent Hylo Open triumph has provided valuable ranking momentum, and another strong performance in Japan could further strengthen his position.

For Srikanth, the tournament represents an opportunity to demonstrate that he remains competitive against younger and higher-ranked opponents.

His victory over Gemke was particularly significant because it required considerable physical endurance and mental strength. Saving match points and winning a deciding game under pressure could provide him with confidence for the next round.

India will also look towards its doubles players as the competition progresses.

World Championships bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are scheduled to face Japan’s third-seeded pair Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in the women’s doubles round of 16.

The Indian combination will face a difficult challenge against the home favourites, who are expected to receive strong support from the local audience.

In men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun are scheduled to meet Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi for a place in the quarter-finals.

The upcoming matches will provide another opportunity for Indian players to challenge some of the strongest combinations in international badminton.

For Lakshya and Srikanth, the immediate objective will be to carry their opening-round momentum into the knockout stage.

Lakshya will look to build on his recent tournament success, while Srikanth will aim to reproduce the determination that helped him overcome Gemke.

Their victories have provided India with an encouraging start in Kumamoto, although tougher contests await as the tournament moves towards its decisive stages.

With several Indian players still competing across different categories, the country will hope to translate its promising opening performances into deeper runs and potential podium finishes.

The performances of the two men’s singles players have already provided a major boost to India’s campaign, keeping its hopes alive at one of the important international badminton events on the BWF World Tour calendar.