Lakshya Sen wins Kumamoto Masters Japan title after defeating Koki Watanabe
The Indian badminton player secured his second consecutive BWF Tour title with a three-game victory in Kumamoto on Sunday.
Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen won the Kumamoto Masters Japan on Sunday by defeating Koki Watanabe in the men's singles final. According to Rediff, Sen won the match with a score of 13-21, 21-18, 21-14 in a contest lasting 64 minutes.
The victory follows Sen's win at the Hylo Open last week. The Super 500 tournament win provides the world No. 13 with 9,200 points. This will move him from 12th to sixth place in the Race to Finals standings when the rankings are refreshed on Tuesday.
Sen, who is from Almora, said he was happy to improve upon his semifinal finish at the same event last year. He attributed his success to maintaining self-belief even when starting matches a game down. He also noted that wind in the stadium made playing difficult.
The win significantly improves Sen's chances of qualifying for the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou. He noted that he is now focusing on the Hong Kong Open, which takes place from November 17 to 22, as it is the final qualifying event.
Before this final, Sen held a 3-2 career head-to-head lead over Watanabe, despite the Japanese player winning their previous two encounters.