Lakshya Sen Wins Kumamoto Masters Badminton Title in Three Games

Lakshya Sen defeated Japan's Koki Watanabe on Sunday to win the Kumamoto Masters Japan badminton title, securing his second consecutive tournament victory on the BWF World Tour.

The eighth-seeded Indian shuttler recovered from a first-game deficit at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium to defeat the local favorite 13-21, 21-18, 21-14 in a final that lasted one hour and four minutes.

The victory earned Sen 9,200 points, boosting his total to 74,180 points and moving him into sixth place in the standings to qualify for the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals in China.

"It feels very good to win a title here," said Sen, who had reached the semifinals at the same tournament last year.

"This is my second title back-to-back and I would love to continue this form," Sen said after securing his second tournament victory in two weeks.

Watanabe opened the match with targeted smashes on Sen's forehand side to lead 6-1 before taking control of the rally speeds to take the first game 21-13.

Sen responded in the second game by seizing early control of the net to build a 5-0 lead and survived a late rally from Watanabe to close out the game 21-18.

In the deciding third game, Sen constructed a 16-7 advantage with sharp attacking shots before converting his second match point with a cross-court winner to close the 21-14 game.

Sen held a three-to-two career advantage over Watanabe entering the final, although the Japanese player had won their previous two encounters, according to The Hindu.

To reach the final, Sen beat Indonesia's sixth seed Alwi Farhan 21-12, 15-21, 21-11 in a 70-minute semifinal on Saturday, according to Hindustan Times.

Prior to Japan, Sen won the Hylo Open in Saarbrucken, Germany, defeating Indonesia's Jonatan Christie 21-17, 21-10 in the final on Nov. 1 to end a title drought extending back to November 2025.

The victory made Sen the first Indian player to win the Kumamoto Masters title, according to The Times of India.

The win brought India's tally on the BWF World Tour in 2026 to nine titles and four runner-up finishes, surpassing the previous national record of six titles set in 2023, according to The Times of India.

The final qualifying event for the BWF World Tour Finals will be the Hong Kong Open, which takes place from Nov. 17 to Nov. 22.