Lakshya Sen Exits Early at China Masters 2026, Srikanth Advances

In a dramatic opening round at the China Masters 2026, Lakshya Sen was eliminated by Canada's Victor Lai, while Kidambi Srikanth advanced to the pre-quarterfinals. The tournament also saw strong performances from Indian doubles teams and mixed doubles pairs. Read on for detailed match highlights and upcoming challenges for the players.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 3, 2026, 00:17 IST

Lakshya Sen's Early Exit

In Shenzhen, China, on September 2, India's prominent badminton player Lakshya Sen faced an early exit from the China Masters 2026. He was defeated in the first round by Canada's Victor Lai, who is ranked ninth in the world, with scores of 21-14, 21-7, as reported by a sports news outlet.

Lakshya, currently ranked 13th globally, began the match strongly, taking a 4-0 lead. However, Lai quickly turned the tide, reaching an 11-8 lead at the break. The Canadian player then surged ahead, ultimately winning the first game.

The second game proved to be even more challenging for Lakshya, as Lai dominated with an 11-4 lead at the interval, concluding the match in just 38 minutes.

Srikanth's Strong Performance

On a brighter note, former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth showcased his skills by defeating Chi Yu-jen from Chinese Taipei, ranked 21st, with scores of 21-16, 21-15 in a 35-minute match. Srikanth, now ranked 34th, is set to face Lai in the pre-quarterfinals.

Doubles Success for Indian Pair

In men's doubles, the fifth-ranked duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also kicked off their campaign successfully, winning against Malaysia's Junaidi Arif and Kang Khai Xing with scores of 21-11, 21-16 in 40 minutes. Despite facing a tough second game, they managed to pull ahead with a five-point streak and will next compete against France's Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov.

Women’s Singles and Mixed Doubles Updates

In women's singles, Tanvi Sharma continued her impressive form, defeating Denmark's Amalie Schulz, ranked 40th, with scores of 21-16, 21-17. She will next challenge Japan's Tomoka Miyazaki, who is ranked ninth.

The mixed doubles team of Dhruv Kapila and Olympian Tanisha Crasto also progressed, winning against Thailand's Tonkid Saeheng and Tonrug Saeheng with a score of 21-8, 21-9 in just 24 minutes. They are set to face Chinese Taipei's Liu Kuang Heng and Hsu Yin-Hui in the next round.

Eliminations in Women's Singles and Mixed Doubles

Unfortunately, Devika Sihag was eliminated from the women's singles after losing to Bulgaria's Kaloyana Nalbantova with scores of 21-18, 21-15. Additionally, the mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde also faced elimination, falling to Chinese Taipei's Wu Guan Xun and Lee Chia Hsin with scores of 21-16, 21-18.