Kumamoto Masters: Srikanth stuns World No. 8 Kodai to join Lakshya in quarters

Kidambi Srikanth stunned eighth-ranked Kodai Naraoka in three games to reach the Kumamoto Masters quarter-finals, while Lakshya Sen continued his winning run with a straight-games victory over China's Dong Tian Yao.Kidambi Srikanth stormed into the quarterfinal of Kumamoto Masters (Courtesy: Badminton Photo)New Delhi,Nov 12, 2026 12:08 ISTFormer World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth clinched one of the biggest wins of his season, stunning World No. 8 Kodai Naraoka of Japan in the pre-quarterfinals of the Kumamoto Masters. On Wednesday, the Indian shuttler defeated Naraoka 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 in an hour to progress to the quarter-finals of the Super 500 tournament.It was Srikanth's first win over Naraoka in five meetings on the tour, coming in their first head-to-head clash in more than two years. Srikanth had to fight his way back even in the opening game, trailing 12-14 at one stage. However, the Indian won nine of the next 10 points to seize the early advantage.Rallied by the home fans, Naraoka bounced back in the second game to level the contest and force a decider. But Srikanth held his composure when it mattered most. Having taken an 11-7 lead into the final change of ends, the Indian did not surrender his advantage and closed out the match to seal his place in the last eight.Srikanth punched the air in delight after securing his quarter-final berth and shared a brief exchange with Naraoka at the net. The win marks only Srikanth's second quarter-final appearance this year at a tournament categorised as Super 500 or above. The 31st-ranked Indian had reached the final of the US Open Super 300 in June, but has otherwise struggled for consistency this season.What a sensational win for Kidamdi Srikanth The old gaffer finally breaks in his career the barrier of Kodai Naraoka after 5 meetings. Outsted 5th seed Kodai in three thrilling games at #KumamotoMasters2026 It's really feels good to see Sri playing such gameplay again https://t.co/bcIa1bUZ7p— Amit Kumar De (@AmitK98infinite) November 12, 2026LAKSHYA RALLIES ONMeanwhile, fifth seed Lakshya Sen, the eighth seed at the Kumamoto Masters, hammered China's Dong Tian Yao 21-8, 21-14 to reach the quarter-finals and keep his hopes of winning back-to-back titles on the tour alive. Lakshya arrived in Kumamoto on the back of his title-winning run at the Hylo Open Super 500 last month. He skipped the Korea Masters last week and has made the trip to Japan fresher and with momentum on his side.Lakshya will next face World No. 17 Yushi Tanaka of Japan. The Indian, ranked 13th in the men's singles rankings, holds a 2-0 head-to-head record against the local favourite.Srikanth, meanwhile, will take on higher-ranked Koki Watanabe, another of Japan's rising men's singles shuttlers, in the quarter-finals on Friday. Srikanth holds a 2-0 record against the World No. 15, including a hard-fought 21-15, 21-23, 24-22 victory at the Indonesia Masters.In the men's doubles, India's pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun bowed out after losing in straight games to the Japanese combination of Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi.- Ends