Indian Shuttlers Face Early Exits at China Open 2026 Badminton Tournament
Disappointing Start for Indian Players
Changzhou, China - The China Open 2026 badminton tournament began on a sour note for Indian players, as both HS Prannoy and Devika Sihag were eliminated in the first round on Tuesday.
Competing at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, HS Prannoy, ranked 36th in the world, lost to Malaysia's Leong Jun Hao, who is ranked 27th, with scores of 21-10, 21-14 in the men's singles opening match.
This defeat adds to Prannoy's struggles in the 2026 season, where he has yet to progress past the second round in any of the eight tournaments he has participated in so far.
From the outset, Prannoy struggled to find his rhythm, falling behind 11-2 at the break and ultimately losing the first game without much resistance.
In the second game, he showed more determination, trailing closely at 11-8 during the interval. However, Leong Jun Hao surged ahead after the break, allowing Prannoy to score only six more points before concluding the match in just 32 minutes.
This victory marked Leong Jun Hao's second win in four encounters against HS Prannoy.
Devika Sihag, the other Indian competitor on the first day of the BWF Super 1000 tournament, also faced an early exit. She lost to Thailand's Olympian Busanan Ongbamrungphan with scores of 21-19, 19-21, 21-13 in the women's singles event.
The 21-year-old Sihag fought valiantly in the first game but narrowly missed out on victory. She bounced back in the second game to level the match, pushing it to a deciding game, but Busanan regained control to secure the win.
In the final game, Busanan elevated her performance, quickly establishing an 11-2 lead and maintaining her advantage to finish the match in one hour and one minute.
Looking ahead, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Paris 2024 semi-finalist Lakshya Sen are set to begin their campaigns at the China Open on Wednesday.
Sindhu, who won the China Open in 2016, enters the tournament following a title victory at the Japan Open last week and will face fellow Indian Unnati Hooda in her opening match.