Indian badminton faced a tough blow at the China Masters, with a string of first-round exits. Men's singles stars Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, and Priyanshu Rajawat were all sent packing early, joined by the women's doubles pair of Rutuparna and Swetaparna Panda. It was a disappointing start for the Indian contingent, leaving supporters disheartened.
Men’s singles shuttlers Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, and Priyanshu Rajawat, as well as women’s doubles team Rutuparna and Swetaparna Panda, were eliminated in the first round of the China Masters. Three of India’s top badminton players, Lakshya, Srikanth, and Priyanshu, all lost in their first-round matches, making it a horrible day for Indian fans at the China Masters.
Lakshya Sen's struggle to find form continued as he lost to China's Shi Yi Qi in their first-ever encounter, falling 19-21, 18-21 in 59 minutes. This marks the fourth straight tournament where Sen has been knocked out in the first round, following poor outings at the Japan Masters, French Open, and Denmark Open. When adding his defeat to Kodai Naraoka at the Kumamoto Masters, Sen is now on a streak of seven consecutive first-round exits on the BWF World Tour.
Kidambi Srikanth's match against fourth-seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn was a rollercoaster, ending in a 15-21, 21-14, 13-21 defeat after just over an hour. This marks Srikanth's fourth loss to the Thai opponent in five meetings and his third first-round exit on the BWF World Tour since the Asian Games concluded.
Despite showing resilience by winning the second game to level the match, Srikanth couldn't keep the pressure on Vitidsarn in the final set. This loss adds to a season where Srikanth has faced three first-round exits alongside four quarterfinal runs. The match started poorly for the Indian, as Vitidsarn surged to an 11-6 lead in the first game. Although Srikanth managed to close the gap to 12-13, Vitidsarn sealed the opening set. The second game was a tight affair, but Srikanth utilized a 13-10 lead after the interval to secure the game. Unfortunately, the momentum shifted back to Vitidsarn in the decider, who comfortably won 21-13.
Earlier on Wednesday, Priyanshu Rajawat's campaign ended quickly. The 2023 Orleans Masters champion was beaten in straight games, 17-21, 14-21, by Japan's Kenta Nishimoto in a match lasting 46 minutes.
Given their recent dip in form, both Lakshya and Srikanth may face an uphill battle to secure qualification for next year's Paris Olympics. While Lakshya still has a mathematical chance, the window is closing rapidly for Srikanth.