# Kidambi Srikanth beats world number eight Naraoka to reach Japan Masters quarter-finals
_Srikanth won his first match against Naraoka in five meetings at Kumamoto._

- Publisher: Apex Sports News (https://apexsportsnews.in)
- Canonical URL: https://apexsportsnews.in/news/kidambi-srikanth-beats-world-number-eight-naraoka-to-reach-japan-masters
- Author: Atul, Editor (https://apexsportsnews.in/author/atul)
- Published: 2026-11-12T23:15:39.077Z
- Section: Badminton
- Topics: Lakshya Sen, BWF World Tour, Japan Masters, Kidambi Srikanth, Kodai Naraoka
## Summary

Kidambi Srikanth defeated Kodai Naraoka 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 at the Japan Masters on 12 November 2026. Lakshya Sen also reached the last eight.

## Key takeaways

- Srikanth won 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 against Naraoka
- It was Srikanth's first victory over Naraoka in five meetings
- The match lasted about one hour
- Srikanth will face Koki Watanabe in the quarter-finals
- Lakshya Sen also reached the quarter-finals

## Article

Kidambi Srikanth beat fifth seed Kodai Naraoka 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 at the Japan Masters in Kumamoto on Thursday, 12 November 2026, reaching the quarter-finals of the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.

The victory was Srikanth's first over Naraoka in five career meetings. The former world number one won the opening game 21-15 after trailing 12-14, winning seven consecutive points. Naraoka fought back to win the second game 21-11 and force a decider.

Srikanth levelled at 7-7 in the third game and closed out the match 21-18 in 60 minutes.

## Previous round and head-to-head record

On Wednesday, Srikanth beat Denmark's Rasmus Gemke 18-21, 21-16, 24-22 in one hour and eight minutes. He had fallen 19-15 behind in the third game but saved two match points before winning the next two points. Before the Japan Masters, Srikanth had lost all four previous meetings against Naraoka.

## The tournament and other Indian results

The Japan Masters is a BWF World Tour Super 500 event. Joining Srikanth in the men's singles quarter-finals is Lakshya Sen, the recently crowned HYLO Open champion. Sen beat China's Dong Tian Yao 21-8, 21-14 in 35 minutes. India's doubles campaign ended with defeats for Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand in the women's doubles and for Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun in the men's doubles.

## Srikanth's career background

Srikanth Kidambi represented India in men's singles at the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing fifth after a quarterfinal run. In April 2018, he became the first Indian male to achieve the World No.1 ranking since Prakash Padukone. He reached the final of the BWF World Championships in 2021, winning a silver medal, and captained the Thomas Cup-winning team in 2022, leading India to its first-ever title in the tournament.

## Quarter-final fixtures

Srikanth will face Japan's Koki Watanabe in the quarter-finals. Sen will play Japan's Yushi Tanaka for a place in the semi-finals.

### Key figures from the match

| Figure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Srikanth's world ranking | 31 |
| Naraoka's world ranking | 8 |
| Head-to-head before match | 0-4 |
| Match duration | about one hour |
| Srikanth's previous round win over Gemke | 18-21, 21-16, 24-22 |

### Related on Apex Sports News

- [Japan Masters 2026: Lakshya Sen beats Chi Yu Jen to reach Round of 16](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/japan-masters-2026-lakshya-sen-beats-chi-yu-jen-to-reach-round-of-16)
- [Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth advance at Kumamoto Masters 2026](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/lakshya-sen-and-kidambi-srikanth-advance-at-kumamoto-masters-2026)
- [Kumamoto Masters: Treesa-Gayatri reach pre-quarters as Kapila-Sharma exit](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/kumamoto-masters-treesa-gayatri-reach-pre-quarters-as-kapila-sharma-exit)

### Sources

- [sportstar.thehindu.com](https://sportstar.thehindu.com/badminton/kidambi-srikanth-beats-kodai-naraoka-japan-masters-quarterfinals/article71692298.ece)
- [thebridge.in](https://thebridge.in/badminton/kumamoto-maters-kidambi-srikanth-lakshya-sen-move-to-quarters-58338)
- [Photo: 吉瀚宇, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kodai_Naraoka_(JPN)_2022.jpg)
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