India’s Lakshya Sen continued his impressive run on the badminton court as he defeated Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan to reach his second consecutive men’s singles final. The Indian shuttler registered a three-game victory over the world No. 10 at the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 tournament on Saturday.

World No. 13 Lakshya won the semifinal 21-12, 15-21, 21-11 against sixth seed Farhan to book his place in the final. The Indian, who recently won the Hylo Open title, is now just one win away from claiming another tournament trophy.

His latest victory has also boosted his chances of qualifying for the BWF World Tour Finals, which will be held in Hangzhou.

ALSO READ: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Breaks World Record, Becomes Youngest Captain In T20 Cricket

Lakshya Sen’s Qualification Chances For BWF World Tour Finals

Lakshya is currently ranked 12th in the BWF World Tour rankings with 64,980 points. He needs to finish among the top eight to secure a place in the season-ending tournament.

A title victory at the Kumamoto Masters will earn him 9,200 ranking points, while finishing as runner-up will add 7,800 points to his tally. Either result is expected to take him into the top eight.

However, the final standings could still change with the Hong Kong Open Super 500 and Syed Modi International Super 300 tournaments remaining on the calendar.

Lakshya will face either Japan’s Koki Watanabe or Thailand’s second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn in Sunday’s final.

Recommended For You

Lakshya Sen Turns The Tables On Alwi Farhan

The victory was particularly important for Lakshya as he had lost both his previous meetings against Farhan without winning a single game.

However, the Indian came into Saturday’s semifinal with a clear plan and executed it well. Instead of getting involved in quick exchanges, Lakshya focused on keeping the rallies going and waiting for the right moment to attack.

“It feels very good to play here. I was looking to better the result from last time and happy with the way I played today and now it’s time to recover again and get ready for a very tough match tomorrow,” Lakshya said.

Lakshya Sen Takes First Game, Farhan Fights Back

Lakshya started strongly and quickly opened up a 5-1 lead with accurate returns and attacks aimed at Farhan’s forehand. The Indonesian tried to fight back, but the Indian did not allow him to take control of the rallies.

Farhan managed to reduce the gap to 10-7, but a service error helped Lakshya maintain a four-point advantage at the interval.

The Indian continued to put pressure on his opponent after the break. A series of smart net shots and powerful attacking strokes helped him move ahead 18-10.

Farhan then made a couple of errors, sending his shots wide and long. Lakshya made no mistake in taking advantage and closed out the opening game 21-12.

The second game was a different story. Lakshya showed great defensive skills during a 57-shot rally early on, but Farhan gradually found his rhythm.

The Indonesian started taking more control of the rallies, while a few unforced errors from Lakshya allowed him to build a 9-4 lead.

Farhan continued to extend his advantage and moved ahead 17-10. Lakshya tried to make a comeback with some attacking shots, but the Indonesian held his nerve to win the game 21-15 and take the match into a decider.

Lakshya Sen Dominates Decider To Book Final Spot

With a place in the final at stake, Lakshya raised his level in the third game. He made a strong start and opened up a 4-2 lead before extending it to 8-5.

Farhan also needed medical attention for a bleeding finger, with the match briefly stopped during the decider.

After the break, Lakshya continued to play aggressively. His trademark jump smash helped him move further ahead, and he went into the interval with an 11-6 advantage.

The Indian did not let his opponent back into the contest. A couple of powerful down-the-line smashes took him to 15-7, leaving Farhan with a huge task.

Lakshya continued to put pressure on the Indonesian, who made more errors as the match progressed. A net error gave the Indian 10 match points, and he sealed the contest with a powerful smash to win the decider 21-11.

Speaking about his performance in the final game, Lakshya said getting an early lead was important.

“It was important that I kept the lead in the third game from the beginning and once it was 11-6, the next three points were very important after changing sides.”


Also In News