China Open 2026: PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen crash out to end India's run

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PV Sindhu‘s campaign at the China Open 2026 ended on Thursday after she lost 16-21, 22-20, 21-18 to home favourite Chen Yufei in the women’s singles round of 16 in Changzhou, China. India’s campaign at the BWF Super 1000 tournament also concluded later in the day, with Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty exiting in the second round of the men’s singles competition.

Ranked world No. 12, Sindhu went down 16-21, 22-20, 21-18 to world No. 4 Chen Yufei, who recovered from a game down to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

The Chinese shuttler opened up an early 12-6 cushion in the first game, but the Indian star mounted a magnificent fightback to level at 16-16 before taking five of the final six points to claim the opening game.

Sindhu carried that momentum into the second game and reached the brink of victory with four match points at 20-16. However, Chen staged a stunning turnaround, reeling off six straight points to save the match and force a decider. Though Sindhu led early in the third game, Chen dominated the crucial closing moments to seal the win in a gruelling 89-minute encounter.

This result represents Sindhu’s ninth career loss in 16 head-to-head encounters with the Chinese star.

Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty lose to end Indian hopes at China Open

In the men’s singles draw, 23rd-ranked Ayush Shetty fell just short in a tight contest, losing  21-15, 13-21, 20-22 to Ireland’s world No. 24 Nhat Nguyen. Shetty was well-positioned to close out the match with a 19-15 lead in the final game before Nguyen surged ahead.

World No. 14 Lakshya Sen was also eliminated, falling in straight games to Canada’s eighth-ranked Victor Lai, 21-19, 21-11. Despite establishing an encouraging 15-9 lead during the first game, Lakshya lost control as Lai turned the tide. 

Lai was dominant in the second game and cruised to a straight-game victory against the Indian star shuttler. Sen won just 11 points in the second game as he suffered a shock defeat.

The Indian contingent will aim to rebuild momentum at the upcoming BWF Super 300 Taipei Open, scheduled to begin on July 28.

(With inputs from ANI)

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