Kumamoto [Japan], November 11 (ANI): India’s Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth registered hard-fought victories of their opening-round matches to advance to the boys’s singles pre-quarterfinals on the Keumamoto Mastrs Japan 2026 badminton event on Wednesday, in accordance with Olympics.com.
Eighth-seeded Lakshya defeated Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen 21-19, 21-18 in a 49-minute contest on the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium. Â Lakshya, who was positioned tenth within the qualification standings forward of the Super 500 occasion, is aiming to interrupt into the highest eight and safe a spot within the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals.
The Indian confronted a stern problem within the opening recreation, with Chi Yu Jen constructing a four-point lead at 14-10 earlier than extending it to 16-12. However, Lakshya fought again by successful 4 consecutive factors to stage the rating at 16-all, in accordance with Olympics.com.
The contest remained evenly poised at 19-all earlier than Lakshya clinched the following two factors to take the opening recreation.
The second recreation adopted the same sample, with each gamers conserving the competition shut. Chi Yu Jen held a 17-16 benefit late within the recreation, however Lakshya stepped up his recreation, successful three successive factors to take a 19-17 lead. He maintained his composure to shut out the match in straight video games, in accordance with Olympics.com.
Lakshya will subsequent face the People’s Republic of China’s Dong Tian Yao within the spherical of 16.
Meanwhile, former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth staged a powerful comeback to beat Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke 18-21, 21-16, 24-22 in an exhilarating contest lasting one hour and eight minutes.
Srikanth began strongly within the opening recreation and held a five-point lead on the interval. Gemke, nevertheless, fought his method again, drawing stage at 14-all and 17-all earlier than successful 4 of the following 5 factors to take the sport.
The second recreation was carefully contested as properly, with Gemke main 14-11. Srikanth responded with a outstanding run of seven consecutive factors to maneuver forward 18-14 and ultimately pressure a decider, in accordance with Olympics.com.
The third recreation noticed a number of adjustments in momentum, with Srikanth trailing 15-19 and dealing with the prospect of an early exit. The 33-year-old Indian confirmed resilience, saving two match factors and drawing stage at 20-all. After the gamers remained locked at 22-all, Srikanth received the following two factors to finish a memorable comeback.
Srikanth will face fifth seed Kodai Naraoka of Japan within the spherical of 16.
In blended doubles, Dhruv Rawat and Maneesha Ok put up a struggle towards fourth seeds Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan of Chinese Taipei earlier than taking place 16-21, 21-14, 21-14.
Olympian Tanisha Crasto and Hariharan Amsakarunan additionally suffered a defeat, dropping 21-7, 21-9 to prime seeds Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin of China.
On Thursday, World Championships bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will face Japan’s third seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi within the ladies’s doubles spherical of 16.
In males’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun will tackle Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi for a spot within the quarter-finals. (ANI)