Lakshya Sen reached his first final of the season after reaching the summit clash of the Canada Open Super 500 on Saturday in Calgary. PV Sindhu exited at the semi-final stage after losing to top seed Akane Yamaguchi in straight games.
Playing in his second semi-final of the season, Sen beat fourth seed Kenta Nishimoto from Japan 21-17, 21-14. Sen started cautiously with Nishimoto taking a 11-10 lead in the first game. However, the world No 19 won six points in a row after the mid-game break to take a 16-11 lead. Nishimoto tried to fight back but Sen held firm to take the first game 21-17.
The Indian carried the momentum into the second game, racing to a 11-9 lead. Sen accelerated further ahead after the break winning six points on the trot from 13-10 to lead 19-10. Nishimoto tried to mount a comeback but Sen wrapped up a well-deserved win.
The Indian will take on China’s Li Shi Feng in the final. Sen holds a 4-2 head to head record against the fifth seed Li.
In the women’s singles draw, fourth seed Sindhu missed out on reaching her second final of the season after losing to rival Yamaguchi in the semi-final.
The top-seeded Japanese star took the first game at a canter as she never trailed Sindhu after being 4-4 at the start. Sindhu kept pace with Yamaguchi until 16-14 when the Japanese star won five straight points to take the first game.
Sindhu started the second game brightly taking a 11-9 lead the mid-game break. However, the Indian could not build on her lead as Yamaguchi accelerated winning 12 of the next 16 points to wrap up a 21-14, 21-15 win.
Yamaguchi will face second seed Ratchanok Intanon in the final.
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