India’s Lakshya Sen saw his impressive run at the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2025 come to an end after a hard-fought semifinal defeat to local favourite Kenta Nishimoto on Saturday. In a gripping contest at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium, Sen- seeded seventh- went down 19-21, 21-14, 12-21 to the world No. 13 in a match that stretched for 77 minutes.
Sen entered the semifinal with renewed confidence after rediscovering form in recent months, including a runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open and a quarter-final victory over former world champion Loh Kean Yew. However, the 23-year-old Indian shuttler could not prevail over Nishimoto, especially in a decisive third game dominated by the Japanese star.
Lakshya Sen vs Kenta Nishimoto: A Tight Opening Game
Lakshya produced a good start, racing to an 8-3 lead. But Nishimoto responded with a burst of seven consecutive points, shifting the momentum and keeping the Indian on the backfoot. The opener turned into a nerve-wracking, point-for-point battle, tied at 18-all, before two critical errors from Sen handed Nishimoto the game 21-19.
Sen Strikes Back
Switching sides worked in Lakshya’s favour. Though he trailed 1-5 early in the second game, he slowed down rallies and forced Nishimoto into longer exchanges. The tactical shift paid off immediately- Sen surged ahead 8-7, and then dominated the remainder of the game. A superb run of eight points before the interval set the tone, and he closed out the game 21-14 to force a decider.
Nishimoto’s Decisive Surge
In the third game, Nishimoto quickly regained command with razor-sharp returns and steep, attacking smashes. Sen struggled to keep up after an early slip while defending, and the Japanese shuttler capitalised ruthlessly, moving ahead 11-7 at the interval. Despite Sen’s efforts to stay in the contest, Nishimoto’s pace and precision proved too much. The Japanese opened up an eight-point advantage and eventually sealed the match 21-12 with a clean, powerful smash.
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A Mixed Season with Glimpses of Brilliance
Saturday’s semifinal marked Sen’s third last-four appearance on the 2025 BWF World Tour. While the season has been inconsistent- with 11 first-round exits in 19 tournaments- Sen has also produced notable highs, including a semifinal run at the Macau Open and a stunning win over world No. 2 Anders Antonsen at the Denmark Open.
The Commonwealth Games champion now stands with a 3-3 head-to-head record against Nishimoto, who will go on to face either Kodai Naraoka or Wang Tzu Wei in the final.
Despite the loss, the Kumamoto Masters campaign reaffirmed Lakshya Sen’s resilience and growing consistency at the highest level. As the season enters its final leg, the Indian shuttler will be eager to convert his flashes of brilliance into a sustained run of deep tournament finishes.
