Japan Open: India's Lakshya Sen wins title with stellar comeback
What's the story
Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen clinched the Kumamoto Masters Japan Open title after defeating Japan's Koki Watanabe in a thrilling final. The world No. 13 lost the first game but made a stunning comeback to win the next two and secure a 13-21, 21-18, 21-14 victory. The match lasted for one hour and four minutes. The title comes just days after Sen's triumph at Germany's Hylo Open.
Game analysis
A brilliant comeback from Sen
In the deciding game, Sen took an early lead of 11-7.
He then extended his advantage to nine points, not giving Watanabe any chance to make a comeback.
The Indian star's attacking returns and strategic smashes left the Japanese player struggling throughout the match.
This victory not only adds another title to Sen's name but also earns him 9,200 ranking points.
Qualification update
Sen breaks into top 8 for a spot at finals
Before this event, Sen was 12th in the Race to Finals standings with 64,980 points. He needed to break into the top eight for a spot at the season-ending event.
The title at this Super 500 event will push him up to sixth place on Tuesday when the standings are updated.
However, his quest isn't over yet as he still has one more qualifying event left - Hong Kong Open (November 17-22).
Match history
Watanabe took an early
Ahead of the final, Sen led 3-2 in their career head-to-head with Watanabe. However, the Japanese had won their last two encounters.
In the final, Watanabe took an early lead of 3-0 with his powerful smashes and varied pace.
Despite a slow start from Sen, he managed to cut down the lead to 5-8 before trailing at the break with a five-point deficit.
Match turning points
Sen's nerves of steel
After the break, Sen fought back to 10-12 with a straight smash and defensive block.
However, Watanabe maintained his lead at 15-11 with some winners.
The Japanese player even got eight game points but Sen saved one before going wide.
A change of sides brought a change of fortune as Sen surged to a 5-0 lead in the decider, taking control of the net and not letting his opponent find his way back into the match.