Lakshya Sen’s impressive run at the Japan Masters came to an end on Saturday, as the Indian shuttler went down in three games to hometown favourite Kenta Nishimoto in the semifinals of the BWF World Tour Super 500 event in Kumamoto.
Lakshya made a bright start, racing to an 8-3 lead in the opening game. But Nishimoto wrested back control with a burst of seven straight points, using sharp, angled smashes to push ahead. Though Lakshya clawed back to level the scores late in the game, a string of net errors at crucial moments proved costly, allowing the Japanese to take the opener 21-19.
The Indian struck back strongly in the second game. After trailing 1-5, Lakshya slowed down the tempo, tightened his net play and targeted Nishimoto’s visible physical discomfort. His controlled aggression paid off as he won eight of the next nine points to seize the lead, eventually forcing a decider with a confident 21-14 win.
However, Nishimoto regained momentum early in the third game. With crisp attacking play and superior court coverage, he raced to a 14-7 advantage, leaving Lakshya struggling to stay in touch. The Japanese earned eight match points before sealing a 21-12 victory to book his place in the final, where he will meet either compatriot Kodai Naraoka or Chinese Taipei’s Wang Tzu Wei.
Lakshya had earlier entered the semifinals with an impressive straight-games win over former world champion Loh Kean Yew on Friday. The world No. 19 defeated the ninth-ranked Singaporean 21-13, 21-17 in 40 minutes, extending his head-to-head record to 7–3.
He was India’s last remaining contender at the tournament after HS Prannoy exited in the second round on Thursday, falling 21-18, 21-15 to Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke. Prannoy, once ranked sixth in the world before injuries and a bout of chikungunya derailed his progress, was unable to match Gemke’s pace and precision in the 46-minute contest.
India’s challenge in the women’s singles and the doubles events had ended earlier on Wednesday.