India’s bid for China Open 2026 ended on Thursday later Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty were defeated in the men’s singles Round of 16 in Changzhou, China. Their exit, together with PV SindhuAn early loss, ended India’s campaign in the BWF Super 1000 tournament.
Lakshya Sen spoils the first game lead
Lakshya Sen bowed out after losing in straight sets to Canadian eighth seed Victor Lai, losing 19-21, 11-21. The Indian led 15-9 in the opening game but was unable to take the lead as Lai made a stunning comeback to steal the opener before dominating the second game to seal her place in the quarter-finals.
Ayush Shetty suffers a heartbreaking defeat
Junior Ayush Shetty came close to reaching the last eight before losing 21-15, 13-21, 20-22 to Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen. After taking the opening game, Shetty found himself in the lead at 19-15 in the deciding game. However, Nguyen made a stunning comeback, winning seven of the last eight points to claim victory and shake off the Indian flu.
PV Sindhu is also out in the round of 16
Earlier, PV Sindhu was eliminated after a tough three-match battle against home favorite Chen Yufei. The two-time Olympic medalist lost 16-21, 22-20, 18-21, ending India’s hopes in the women’s singles tournament.Focus on the Taipei Open and Home World ChampionshipsWith the China Open campaign over, the Indian team will now turn to the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open, which is scheduled to start on July 28. The main focus, however, will be the BWF World Championships 2026, which will be held in New Delhi from August 17 to 23, where India will look to give a strong performance on home soil.