Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen secured his first title of the 2025 season by defeating Japan’s Yushi Tanaka in straight games 21-15, 21-11 at the Australian Open Super 500 tournament on Sunday. The 24-year-old Commonwealth Games champion took just 38 minutes to clinch the USD 475,000 event, marking his comeback after a challenging period following his fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics.Sen dominated the final against world No. 26 Tanaka, displaying superior control and sharp placement throughout the match. He celebrated his victory by putting his fingers in his ears after the win.“I have seen a lot of ups and downs this season, with a few injuries at the start of the season. But I kept my hard work going throughout the season and I am very happy to end the season on a good note,” Sen said.The 2021 World Championships bronze-medallist had last won a Super 300 title at the Syed Modi International in Lucknow in 2024. His previous major victory came at the Canada Open the same year.Sen became the second Indian to win a BWF World Tour title this season, following Ayush Shetty’s maiden Super 300 triumph at the US Open.The first game saw Sen take an early 6-3 lead as Tanaka made several errors. The Japanese shuttler managed to close the gap to 7-9, but Sen maintained control and carried a three-point advantage into the mid-game interval.“It was important to have a good start, and keep the momentum in the last set because it was quite even in the first one. I got a good lead and I could finish it off. The second set started on a good note and then I just kept the lead to finish the match,” Sen explained.The Indian crowd’s support was evident with chants of ‘Lakshya! Lakshya’ echoing through the arena during breaks.Sen extended his lead to 17-13 with powerful smashes and cross-court winners. Despite Tanaka’s attempts to stay competitive, two long errors gave Sen five game points, which he converted immediately.The second game proved more one-sided as Sen maintained his intensity with fast, flat returns. Tanaka struggled to match Sen’s power and consistency, falling behind 8-4.Sen’s excellent backline judgment and net play helped him extend the lead to 13-6. Tanaka continued to make errors, allowing Sen to build a commanding 17-8 advantage.“On the moment he knew he could win: In the second set I was quite far off in the lead, but I didn’t want to get too inside my head so I wouldn’t relax too much. In the back of my mind it was there but I was just trying to focus on playing one point at a time,” Sen shared.“I’m very excited, looking forward to the next season now and I am really happy with the way I played today and this week,” he added.The victory marks a significant achievement for Indian badminton, following other notable performances this season. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty reached finals at the Hong Kong and China Masters, while Kidambi Srikanth finished runner-up at the Malaysia Masters.Tanaka, who had won two Super 300 titles at the Orléans Masters and the US Open in 2024, found himself overwhelmed by Sen’s superior gameplay throughout the match.The final moments saw Sen secure 10 match points with precise net play. Despite losing one point due to a net error, he sealed the title with a sharp cross-court return, completing his impressive tournament run.
