Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen continues to impress in the Japan Open Super 750 badminton tournament, securing a straight-game victory over local player Koki Watanabe in the quarterfinals. With this win, Sen has reached his third consecutive semifinal, following his successes in Canada and the United States.
Lakshya Sen, ranked 13th in the world, defeated Watanabe, ranked 33rd, with a score of 21-15, 21-19. The 21-year-old from Almora, who won a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships and is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, will face either fifth-seeded Indonesian Jonatan Christie or third-seeded Kunlavut Vitidsarn from Thailand in the semifinals.
However, the men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty fought valiantly but lost in a tough three-game match against Olympic champions Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lan of Chinese Taipei with a scoreline of 15-21, 25-23, 16-21.
In the quarterfinal match against Koki Watanabe, Lakshya Sen displayed his dominance early on, taking a lead of 5-3 and extending it to 11-7 at the break in the first game. He comfortably sealed the opening game, showcasing his skills with well-placed cross-court returns.
In the second game, Watanabe tried to increase the pace of the rallies, but Sen remained in control, leading 3-2 with a delightful cross-court drop. The Japanese player gained a significant advantage at 14-7, putting Sen under pressure. However, the Indian fought back with a remarkable turnaround, employing drop shots and effective net play. Sen reversed the situation, leading 18-17 with a powerful cross-court smash.
Eventually, Lakshya Sen earned a match point and capitalized on it with a precise return at the back-line, sealing the victory 21-15, 21-19.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour consists of different levels of tournaments, with the Japan Open Super 750 being one of them. It is part of the series that offers ranking points to players based on their performance. The top levels of the BWF World Tour are the World Tour Finals, four Super 1000, six Super 750, seven Super 500, and 11 Super 300 tournaments. Additionally, the BWF Tour Super 100 level also provides ranking points for players.
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