Paris 2024 semi-finalist Lakshya Sen stormed into the semi-finals of the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2025 badminton tournament with a win over former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore on Friday.

Competing at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium, Lakshya Sen, 15th in the badminton rankings, upset world No. 9 Loh Kean Yew 21-13, 21-17 in 40 minutes. This was Sen’s seventh win over Loh Kean Yew in 10 head-to-head meetings.

Loh Kean Yew started as the sharper of the two badminton players, edging ahead in the early exchanges. However, Lakshya Sen wrested back control with a four-point burst to move 8-5 up and carried a three-point cushion into the interval. 

A run of six straight points soon after helped the Indian badminton player open up a nine-point lead before he wrapped up the opening game with ease.

Loh Kean Yew again made the early moves in the second game, leading 9-7, but Lakshya Sen replied with another decisive surge – an eight-point streak that turned the match firmly in his favour. 

A World Championships gold medallist from 2021, Loh Kean Yew threatened a late fightback, cutting the gap to 18-17, before Lakshya Sen shut the door with three clutch points to seal a straight-games victory.

Lakshya Sen will now take on world No. 13 and 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist Kenta Nishimoto of Japan in the semi-final of the BWF Super 500 tournament. 

Saturday’s clash will be Lakshya Sen’s third semi-final appearance of the 2025 BWF World Tour season. The Indian shuttler made the final at the Hong Kong Open in September and the semis at the Macau Open in August.

Though Lakshya Sen has endured a patchy season this year with 11 first-round defeats from 19 events, he has scored some impressive wins, including one over world No. 2 Anders Antonsen at the Denmark Open.

Lakshya Sen is the only Indian badminton player alive at the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2025. India’s challenge in the doubles and women’s singles events ended on Wednesday.