Lakshya Sen will look for his first BWF title of the year when he takes on Yushi Tanaka of Japan in the final of the Australian Open Super 300 on Sunday morning.
This is the first meeting between the two players, but the Indian world No 14 should have the edge against his 26th-ranked opponent due to his experience at the level. However, the Japanese player is into the final after beating top seed Jonatan Christie in the first round and is yet to drop a game in Sydney.
In the semifinal Lakshya, seeded seventh, needed to marshal all his mental toughness for a gritty win. He recovered from a game down and saved three match points in the second game for a 17-21, 24-22, 21-16 win over world No 6 Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. Tanaka, on the other hand, beat fifth seed Lin Chun-Yi 21-18, 21-15 in straight games in the other semifinal.
Lakshya has had a largely indifferent 2025 season with a win-loss record balanced it 19-19. He had reached the Hong Kong Open final earlier this year but lost to Li Shi Feng. A win on Sunday will not only give him a title towards the end of the challenging season but also make the year’s numbers go into positives, with a much-needed morale boost.
The Australian Open had not had the strongest of fields in men’s singles and 24-year-old Lakshya has had a long road to the final in terms of time spent on court, with long matches against Chu Yu Jen, compatriot Ayush Shetty before the marathon against Chou in the semis. But this has also allowed him to get his confidence set, which can be crucial for Lakshya’s victory chances.
Follow along out live blog for play-by-play updates:
