Kumamoto Masters: Srikanth stuns defending champion Naraoka; Lakshya Sen also reaches quarter-finals

Kidambi Srikanth pulled off one of his biggest wins in recent seasons on Thursday, beating defending champion and world No. 8 Kodai Naraoka of Japan to reach the men's singles quarter-finals of the Kumamoto Masters Japan, a BWF Super 500 event. Lakshya Sen joined him in the last eight with a comfortable win.

Srikanth won the pre-quarter-final 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 against the fifth seed. After taking the first game, he was outplayed in the second, but held his nerve in the decider even after Naraoka saved two match points. It was Srikanth's first victory over the Japanese player in five meetings, The Bridge reported.

Lakshya in control

Eighth seed Lakshya Sen had a much easier time, beating China's Dong Tian Yao 21-8, 21-14 in straight games. Lakshya arrived in Kumamoto in form after winning the Hylo Open in Germany, according to All India Radio.

Quarter-final line-up

Both Indians will face Japanese players in the quarter-finals on Friday. Srikanth takes on Koki Watanabe, ranked 15th in the world, whom he has beaten in both of their previous meetings. Lakshya plays Yushi Tanaka, against whom he also has a 2-0 head-to-head record.

The two wins keep India's men's singles challenge alive after a mixed start to the week, in which two Indian mixed doubles pairs went out in the early rounds. A run deep into the draw would also help Lakshya's bid to qualify for the season-ending World Tour Finals, for which ranking points from the remaining tournaments are crucial.

Why it matters

For Srikanth, a former world No. 1 who has struggled with form and rankings in recent years, beating a top-10 player on home soil for the Japanese is a reminder of his ability on the big stage. Lakshya, meanwhile, has a chance to build on his German title and keep up momentum heading into the final weeks of the season.