Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen clinched the men’s singles title at the Australian Open 2025 on Sunday, defeating Japan’s Yushi Tanaka 21-15, 21-11 in a one-sided final to secure his first crown of the 2025 BWF World Tour.
Sen earned USD 475,000 after winning the Australian Open Super 500 event in Sydney.
The 23-year-old was dominant throughout the final, outplaying the 26-year-old Tanaka in just 38 minutes. Tanaka, a two-time Super 300 champion this year at the Orleans Masters and the US Open, struggled to match Sen’s control, reflexes and precise placement.
Lakshya made a strong start in the opening game, taking a 6-3 lead as World No. 26 Tanaka committed a series of errors. Although Tanaka reduced the deficit to 9-7, Sen regained momentum to enter the mid-game interval with a three-point advantage. He maintained control of the rallies and sealed the first game 21-15.
The second game saw complete dominance from Sen, who raced to a six-point lead at the interval with a series of powerful smashes. Tanaka was unable to handle the pace, and Sen closed out the match with a sharp cross-court return.
A bronze medallist at the 2021 World Championships, Lakshya had earlier won the Syed Modi International Super 300 title in Lucknow in 2024. After winning the Canada Open in 2024, he endured a challenging spell this year, coming close to another title at the Hong Kong Super 500 in September, where he finished runner-up.
With his Australian Open triumph, Sen becomes only the second Indian shuttler to win a title on the 2025 BWF World Tour. Earlier, rising star Ayush Shetty captured his maiden Super 300 title at the US Open.
(ANI)