India experienced contrasting results at the China Masters Super 750 in Shenzhen on Wednesday, with Lakshya Sen suffering an early exit while Kidambi Srikanth and young women's singles player Tanvi Sharma advanced to the Round of 16.
Lakshya Sen’s campaign ended in the opening round after he was defeated by Canada’s Victor Lai in straight games. The Indian shuttler lost 14-21, 7-21 in a match that lasted 38 minutes. Sen struggled to maintain consistency against Lai and was unable to build sustained pressure during the contest. The defeat added to a difficult period for the Indian player, who had also made an early exit from the 2026 World Championships held in New Delhi.
Sen initially made a strong start against Lai and moved ahead 4-0 in the opening game. However, the Canadian quickly settled into the contest and began controlling the rallies. Sen committed several unforced errors, particularly while attempting to attack from the backhand side, allowing Lai to establish a comfortable advantage. The Canadian eventually closed the opening game 21-14.
The second game proved even more difficult for Sen. Lai maintained his defensive discipline and forced the Indian to play longer rallies. Sen was unable to find the rhythm required to challenge his opponent and eventually lost the game 7-21. The result marked Sen’s third defeat to Lai in their last four meetings. Sen’s only victory against the Canadian during that stretch came in the All England Open semifinal in March, where he won a closely contested three-game match.
While Sen’s early departure was a setback for India, former world number one Kidambi Srikanth kept the country’s men’s singles campaign alive with a convincing opening-round victory. Srikanth defeated Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen 21-16, 21-15.
Srikanth maintained control throughout the match and avoided the extended exchanges that could have allowed his opponent to gain momentum. His straight-games victory secured his place in the Round of 16 and gave India an important result in the men’s singles draw.
Srikanth, a 2021 World Championships silver medallist, entered the China Masters looking to build momentum after an inconsistent period on the international circuit. His progress in Shenzhen provides another opportunity to compete against leading players and strengthen his preparations for upcoming international assignments.
India also received encouraging news from the women’s singles draw, with 17-year-old Tanvi Sharma producing another notable performance. The World Junior Championships silver medallist defeated Denmark’s Amalie Schulz 21-16, 21-17 in straight games.
Tanvi controlled important stages of both games and managed to close out the contest without dropping a game. Her victory sends her into the Round of 16 and continues her progress on the senior international circuit. The teenager has emerged as one of India’s promising women's singles players and has already attracted attention through her performances on the BWF World Tour.
Tanvi’s victory was particularly significant because Schulz is a ranked international player, making the straight-games result a useful confidence boost for the young Indian shuttler. She will now face another challenge in the next round as the competition becomes tougher.
The China Masters is being held in Shenzhen from September 1 to 6 and is part of the BWF World Tour Super 750 level. The tournament has attracted several leading international players and provides an important opportunity for competitors to earn ranking points, prize money and valuable match experience.
For India, the tournament is also an important part of preparations for the Asian Games later in September. Several leading Indian players are participating in the event, including Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in men's doubles, along with other singles and doubles combinations.
The results from the opening rounds underline the contrasting fortunes of India’s singles players. Sen, who remains one of the country's most established men's singles players, could not progress beyond the opening round. Srikanth, meanwhile, produced a composed performance to move forward. Tanvi Sharma also continued her development by securing a straight-games victory against a higher-ranked international opponent.
The China Masters will now move into the later stages of the competition, where the intensity and quality of opposition will increase. Srikanth and Tanvi will be aiming to extend their campaigns and gain further experience against strong international competition.
For Lakshya Sen, the focus will shift toward recovering from another early tournament exit and preparing for the next stage of the season. His previous success against Victor Lai at the All England Open shows that the Indian has the ability to challenge the Canadian, but the latest result highlights the need for greater consistency and control in future meetings.
India will therefore continue to look toward Srikanth and Tanvi as important singles representatives in Shenzhen. Their progress into the Round of 16 gives the Indian contingent an opportunity to remain competitive in the singles events at one of the major tournaments on the BWF calendar.