Kumamoto: India’s Lakshya Sen defeated former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore to storm into the semifinals of the Japan Masters, a BWF World Tour Tremendous 500 occasion, right here at Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium on Friday.

Sen registered a 21-13, 21-17 win over the world No. 9 Loh in 40 minutes. This was the Indian’s seventh win towards the Singaporean in 10 profession conferences.

Sen will subsequent face Japan’s world No. 13 Kenta Nishimoto for a spot within the ultimate.

After an evenly poised begin, Sen seized management of the opening recreation with a decisive burst of six consecutive factors, half of a bigger run that noticed him win 9 of the subsequent ten to maneuver from 9–8 to a commanding 18–9 lead.

Although Loh tried a late surge, nevertheless it was the Indian who comfortably closed out the sport to go forward within the match. The second recreation noticed each gamers increase the tempo, producing some thrilling exchanges.

Early on, at 1–1, they performed a gruelling 41-shot rally that Loh received. However Sen once more appeared in management when he put collectively eight straight factors across the interval to open up a 15–9 lead.

Sen let just a few low cost factors slip, permitting the Singaporean to shut the hole to 11–15. Nonetheless, he shortly regained management and received a vital rally at 17–13 to interrupt Loh’s momentum.

Loh then produced an excellent fightback to attract stage, however after a marathon 42-shot rally — the longest of the match — Sen pulled forward 20–17 and sealed the competition with a decisive smash.

Sen is the one Indian badminton participant alive on the occasion after HS Prannoy bowed out of the event following a straight-games defeat within the second spherical on Thursday.

Prannoy, who was sixth within the badminton rankings two years in the past earlier than accidents and chikungunya halted his progress, misplaced 21-18, 21-15 towards Thirtieth-ranked Rasmus Gemke of Denmark in 46 minutes.

India’s problem within the doubles and ladies’s singles occasions have been ended on Wednesday.