Lakshya Sen Outplays World No. 10 Alwi Farhan In Three Games To Reach Kumamoto Masters Final

India's Lakshya Sen stormed into his second successive men's singles final with a stunning three-game win over world No. 10 Alwi Farhan of Indonesia at the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 badminton tournament on Saturday. World No. 13 Lakshya, who recently won the Hylo Open title, boosted his chances of qualifying for the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou after reaching the final with a 21-12, 15-21, 21-11 victory over the sixth-seeded Farhan. The eighth-seeded Indian, currently 12th in the BWF World Tour Finals Race with 64,980 points, needs to break into the top eight to qualify for the season-ending event.

He will face the winner of the other semifinal between Japan's Koki Watanabe and Thailand's second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

A title win at the Super 500 event would earn Lakshya 9,200 points, while a runners-up finish would fetch 7,800 points. Either result is expected to move him into the top eight of the Race standings. However, with the Hong Kong Open Super 500 and Syed Modi International Super 300 still to come, the standings could yet change.

Lakshya had lost both his previous meetings against Farhan without winning a single game, but he turned the tables in emphatic fashion on Saturday.

Farhan prefers a high-tempo, attacking style rather than engaging in long rallies, and Lakshya adopted the perfect strategy to counter him. The Indian focused on constructing points patiently and waiting for the right opportunities to attack.

Lakshya raced to a 5-1 lead with precise returns and by targeting Farhan's forehand. The Indonesian reduced the deficit to 3-6 before committing a service fault. Lakshya remained composed and refused to allow Farhan to dictate the pace of the contest.

A few unforced errors helped Farhan cut the lead to 10-7, but a service error handed Lakshya a four-point cushion at the interval.

The Indian continued to build rallies patiently after the break, forcing mistakes from his opponent. Farhan missed the sidelines twice as Lakshya extended his lead to 14-8.

A sharp interception at the net, a deceptive net shot and a winner during a flat exchange helped Lakshya move further ahead at 18-10.

Farhan then hit wide and long on consecutive points, handing Lakshya eight game points. The Indian wrapped up the opening game after another error from the Indonesian.

The second game began with a remarkable display of Lakshya's defensive skills. At 1-2, he retrieved everything Farhan threw at him during a 57-shot rally before the Indonesian eventually found the net.

However, errors soon crept into Lakshya's game as he slipped behind 4-9, while Farhan displayed greater patience and control. The Indonesian extended his lead to seven points when Lakshya sent a smash wide.

Lakshya halted a run of seven successive points by producing a superb cross-court drop shot after the interval. He followed it up with a cross-court smash to narrow the gap to 7-13 before committing a net error.

A powerful smash following a weak serve enabled Farhan to maintain his advantage at 17-10.

A wide return from Lakshya handed Farhan seven game points. The Indonesian squandered two before another error from the Indian forced a decider.

Lakshya started the deciding game strongly, opening a 4-2 lead after Farhan had already exhausted both of his video challenges.

A precise return into the corner extended the Indian's lead to 6-3, while a powerful smash helped him move ahead 8-5 before Farhan took a medical timeout to receive treatment for a bleeding finger.

Lakshya briefly misjudged a shuttle after play resumed, but Farhan responded with another error. The Indian then unleashed a trademark jump smash into the corner to make it 10-6.

A successful review on a line call helped Lakshya take an 11-6 lead into the interval.

The Indian maintained complete control after the break, producing a series of lethal down-the-line smashes to stretch his advantage to 15-7.

Another long shot from Farhan left Lakshya just two points away from victory. A net error from the Indonesian then handed the Indian 10 match points, and Lakshya sealed the contest with a smashing winner.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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