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

Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth secured one of the biggest wins of his season, stunning world number eight Kodai Naraoka of Japan in the Kumamoto Masters pre-quarterfinals. On Wednesday, he beat Indian shuttler Naraoka in an hour 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 to advance 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 meeting in over two years. Srikanth had to fight back in the opening game as well, trailing 12-14 at one stage. However, the Indian won nine of the next 10 points to seize an early advantage.

Rallyed by the home fans, Naraoka bounced back in the second to tie the game and force a decision. But Srikanth kept his cool when it mattered most. After taking an 11-7 lead into the last change of sides, the Indian did not relinquish his advantage and closed out the match to seal his spot in the last eight.

Punching the air with joy after securing his quarter-final berth, Srikanth shared a brief exchange with Naraoka at the net.

The win marks only Srikanth’s second quarter-final appearance this year in a tournament categorized as Super 500 or above. The 31-ranked Indian reached the US Open Super 300 final in June but has otherwise struggled for consistency this season.

What a sensational win by Kidamdi Srikanth The old gaffer finally broke Kodai Naraoka’s barrier after 5 meetings in his career. Beats 5th seed Kodai in three thrilling games at #KumamotoMasters2026 Really nice to see Sri play such a game again Amit Kumar De (@AmitK98infinite) November 12, 2026

LAKSHYA RALLY ON

Meanwhile, fifth seed Lakshya Sen, the eighth seed at the Kumamoto Masters, beat China’s Dong Tian Yao 21-8, 21-14 to reach the quarter-finals and keep alive his hopes of back-to-back titles on the tour.

Lakshya arrived in Kumamoto after his winning run at the Hylo Open Super 500 last month. He missed the Korea Masters last week and made the trip to Japan fresh and with momentum on his side.

Lakshya will next face world No. 17 Yushi Tanaka of Japan. The Indian, who is ranked 13th in the men’s singles rankings, holds a 2-0 head-to-head record against the local favorite.

Srikanth, meanwhile, will face higher-ranked Koki Watanabe, another rising Japanese shuttler in singles, in Friday’s quarter-finals. Srikanth holds a 2-0 record against the world number 15, including a hard-fought 21-15, 21-23, 24-22 victory at the Indonesia Masters.

In the men’s doubles, the Indian pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun bowed out after losing in straight games to the Japanese combination of Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi.

– The end