New Delhi, Nov. 13 -- Indian shuttlers Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy marched into the pre-quarterfinals of the ongoing Kumamoto Masters Japan 2025 badminton tournament after winning their respective clashes of the first round on Wednesday.

HS Prannoy, 35th in the men's singles badminton rankings, battled past Malaysia's world No. 22 Jun Hao Leong 16-21, 21-13, 23-21 in a 68-minute thriller at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium, according to Olympics.com.

The 33-year-old Indian badminton player, ranked world No. 6 before injuries and a bout of chikungunya disrupted his form in 2023, showed glimpses of his best to outlast his higher-ranked opponent.

After conceding the first game despite being level at 13-all, Prannoy shifted gears in the s...