Lakshya Sen fought valiantly but lost to Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto in the semifinals of the Japan Masters 2025, a BWF World Tour Super 500 event held in Kumamoto City.

The Commonwealth Games champion, seeded seventh, went down 19‑21, 21‑14, 12‑21 in a match that lasted one hour and 17 minutes.

The contest between two evenly‑matched players hinged on consistency and tactical awareness. Sen started strongly, racing to an 8‑3 lead in the opening game. However, Nishimoto seized momentum with seven consecutive points to edge ahead 10‑9. Despite Sen’s fightback, Nishimoto’s steep smashes and precise drops earned him the first game 21‑19.

In the second game, Sen slowed rallies and stitched together a run of points to take an 8‑7 lead. He dominated with sharp cross‑court smashes and delicate net

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