Lakshya Sen Wins Australian Open Super 500 Title

Lakshya Sen of India claimed his first title of the 2025 badminton season by defeating Japan's Yushi Tanaka 21-15, 21-11 in the men's singles final of the Australian Open Super 500 on Sunday in Sydney. The 24-year-old from Almora wrapped up the 38-minute match with a commanding performance, ending a year-long drought for top-tier victories and securing his third Super 500 crown.

Sen, ranked world No. 14, controlled the contest from the outset, relying on sharp placement, crisp smashes and steady defense to keep Tanaka, the world No. 26, at bay. In the opening game, Sen built a 6-3 lead as Tanaka erred repeatedly, hitting into the net and sending shots wide. A 35-shot rally highlighted the intensity, ending with another net mistake by the Japanese player. Though Tanaka narrowed the gap to 7-9 with crosscourt smashes that forced Sen to the floor, the Indian maintained a three-point edge at the interval and pulled ahead to 13-9 by dominating net exchanges and keeping the shuttle flat and deep. Tanaka mounted a brief comeback to 12-13 with a powerful smash and a sharp net shot, but Sen responded with a backhand smash and crosscourt winner to reach 17-13. Two long errors from Tanaka...