Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth advance at Kumamoto Masters 2026
The Indian pair won their men’s singles Round of 32 matches at the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 on Wednesday.
Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth reached the men’s singles pre-quarter-finals at the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2026 Super 500 on Wednesday. RevSportz reported both players advanced after winning their opening matches at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
Key takeaways
- Lakshya Sen beat Chi Yu Jen 21-19, 21-18
- Kidambi Srikanth beat Rasmus Gemke 18-21, 21-16, 24-22
- Lakshya will face Dong Tianyao in the round of 16
- Srikanth will face Kodai Naraoka in the round of 16
Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth advanced to the men’s singles pre-quarter-finals at the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2026 badminton tournament on Wednesday. RevSportz reported that both Indian players won their Round of 32 matches at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium in Kumamoto, Japan.
What we know
Eighth-seeded Lakshya Sen defeated Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen 21-19, 21-18, according to RevSportz. The News Mill said Chi led 14-10 and extended his advantage to 16-12 before Sen won four consecutive points to level at 16-all.
News18 reported that Lakshya trailed 4-7 early in the opening game and that Chi took an 11-10 lead into the interval. Sen drew level at 16-all and then won three consecutive points to go 19-17 ahead before closing out the match in straight games.
The match duration was reported as 49 minutes by RevSportz and 68 minutes by News18.
Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth defeated Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke 18-21, 21-16, 24-22, RevSportz reported. The News Mill said Srikanth held a five-point lead at the interval in the first game but Gemke recovered to win 21-18. In the decider, Srikanth trailed 15-19 and saved two match points before drawing level at 20-all and 22-all, then winning the final two points.
Srikanth held his nerve to seal a 24-22 victory
Men’s singles Round of 32 results
Winner | Loser | Score | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
Lakshya Sen | Chi Yu Jen | 21-19, 21-18 | 49 minutes/68 minutes |
Kidambi Srikanth | Rasmus Gemke | 18-21, 21-16, 24-22 | 1 hour 8 minutes |
Why it matters
Lakshya extended his head-to-head record against Chi to 2-1, RevSportz reported. News18 said Lakshya, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, had lost to Chi at the Malaysia Open last year before avenging that loss at the Australia Open later in the season. This was Lakshya’s first competitive outing since winning the Hylo Open title in Germany earlier this month.
Srikanth’s win keeps him in contention at a BWF World Tour Super 500 event. The Japan Masters is one of nine Super 500 events on the BWF World Tour, according to Wikipedia, and Kumamoto was confirmed as host for the 2023–2026 cycle.
What happens next
Lakshya will next face China’s Dong Tianyao on Thursday, RevSportz reported. The News Mill named the opponent as Dong Tian Yao of the People’s Republic of China.
Srikanth will face fifth seed Kodai Naraoka of Japan in the round of 16, The News Mill reported.
By the numbers
- Lakshya Sen: 2021 World Championships bronze medallist - Kidambi Srikanth: former world number one - Tournament prize: US$500,000 - Dates: 10 to 15 November 2026
Related on Apex Sports News
Japan Masters 2026: Lakshya Sen beats Chi Yu Jen to reach Round of 16
Kumamoto Masters: Treesa-Gayatri reach pre-quarters as Kapila-Sharma exit
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