Lakshya Sen becomes first Indian to clinch Kumamoto Masters title

India’s Lakshya Sen staged an impressive comeback to defeat Japan’s Koki Watanabe in the men’s singles final and win the Japan Masters 2026 title in Kumamoto on Sunday (Nov 15). The Indian shuttler lost the opening game but recovered strongly to register a 13-21, 21-18, 21-14 victory in one hour and four minutes. The world No. 13 showed great determination after a slow start, raising his game in the second set to bring the contest at level. He used his cross-court smashes and quick movement to put Watanabe under pressure and won the game 21-18.

Sen then further carried that momentum into the deciding game and took control of the match. After building an 11-7 lead at the interval, he continued to attack and extended his advantage to 16-7. Watanabe tried to fight back but could not stop the Indian, who eventually sealed the game 21-14 to claim the title.

The victory marks Sen’s second consecutive tournament win after his triumph at the Hylo Open in Germany last week. The back-to-back titles also indicate that the Indian is returning to his best form following disappointing campaigns at the World Championships and Asian Games.

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The Japan Masters Super 500 title has also strengthened Sen’s chances of qualifying for the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou. He entered the tournament in 12th position in the Race to Finals rankings with 64,980 points.

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However, the 9,200 points earned from his latest victory will take him to sixth place with 74,180 points when the rankings are updated on Tuesday.

The qualification race is still open, with the Hong Kong Open, scheduled from Nov 17 to 22, serving as the final qualifying event. Sen will need to remain inside the top eight to secure his place in the season-ending tournament.