Lakshya Sen advanced to the men’s singles semifinals of the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2026 on Friday after a dominant performance against home favourite Yushi Tanaka. The Indian eighth seed won the quarterfinal match in straight games at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
Sen completed the victory with scores of 21-16, 21-15 in 40 minutes. The win keeps him in contention for the title at the BWF Super 500 event, as he looks to build on his recent success at the Hylo Open in Germany.
In the opening game, Sen established an 11-8 lead by the interval. Although Tanaka attempted to close the gap, the Indian increased his intensity to secure the game 21-16. The second game remained competitive early on, with the players tied at 4-4.
Sen broke the deadlock to lead 11-9 at the break and maintained his composure throughout the remainder of the contest. He dictated the rallies and controlled the net to close out the second game 21-15 and confirm his semifinal spot.
The path to the semifinals saw Sen defeat Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen 21-19, 21-18 in the opening round, followed by a commanding 21-8, 21-14 victory over China’s Dong Tian Yao in the pre-quarterfinals.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Kidambi Srikanth’s campaign ended in the quarterfinals. The Indian player was defeated by Japan’s Koki Watanabe in a closely contested match that finished 22-24, 15-21.
Sen, who is currently ranked 13th in the BWF World Rankings, will face Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan in the semifinals. The winner of that match will advance to the final of the Kumamoto Masters.
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