Indian Challenge Ends at China Open 2026 as Sen, Shetty Exit

India's challenge at the China Open 2026 came to an end on Thursday after Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty suffered defeats in the men's singles Round of 16 in Changzhou, China. Their exits, coupled with PV Sindhu's earlier loss, brought the curtain down on India's campaign at the BWF Super 1000 tournament.

Lakshya Sen squanders first-game lead

Lakshya Sen bowed out after a straight-game defeat to Canada's eighth seed Victor Lai, losing 19-21, 11-21. The Indian held a commanding 15-9 lead in the opening game but was unable to capitalize as Lai produced a remarkable comeback to steal the opener before dominating the second game to seal his place in the quarter-finals.

Ayush Shetty suffers heartbreaking defeat

Youngster Ayush Shetty came agonisingly 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 a strong position at 19-15 in the deciding game. However, Nguyen reeled off a stunning comeback, winning seven of the final eight points to snatch victory and eliminate the Indian shuttler.

PV Sindhu also exits in round of 16

Earlier in the day, PV Sindhu was knocked out after a spirited three-game battle against home favourite Chen Yufei. The two-time Olympic medallist lost 16-21, 22-20, 18-21, ending India's hopes in the women's singles competition.

Focus shifts to Taipei Open and Home world championships With the China Open campaign over, the Indian contingent will now turn its attention to the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open, scheduled to begin on July 28. The bigger target, 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 deliver a strong performance on home soil.