SHENZHEN, September 4: Indian badminton star Kidambi Srikanth’s China Masters 2026 campaign ended in the quarterfinals on Friday after he suffered a straight-games defeat against Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu.
The former world No. 1 went down 16-21, 16-21 in a 39-minute contest at the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament in Shenzhen.
Lee Takes Control of Opening Game
Srikanth started the opening game positively, winning the first two points, but Lee quickly settled into the contest and began controlling the rallies.
The Hong Kong shuttler maintained his advantage through most of the first game and closed it out 21-16, despite a late challenge from Srikanth.
Srikanth Lets Early Lead Slip in Second Game
Srikanth made a strong start to the second game and raced to a 4-0 lead.
However, four consecutive unforced errors allowed Lee back into the contest. Srikanth later fought his way to a 15-14 advantage, but Lee responded strongly and won the remaining crucial points to seal another 21-16 game and the match.
Best Super 750 Run in Three Years
Despite the defeat, the tournament marked an encouraging run for the 33-year-old Indian.
It was Srikanth’s first quarterfinal appearance at a BWF World Tour Super 750 event or higher in three years, highlighting signs of a return to stronger form at the elite level.
Srikanth Had Upset World No. 9 Victor Lai
Srikanth began his China Masters campaign with a 21-16, 21-15 victory over Chi Yu-jen of Chinese Taipei.
He then produced one of his strongest performances of the tournament by defeating world No. 9 Victor Lai of Canada 21-18, 21-19 in the Round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals.
The result had raised hopes of a deeper run for Srikanth, who had also finished runner-up at the US Open Super 300 earlier this season.
Lee Advances to Semifinals
With Friday’s win, Lee Cheuk Yiu advanced to the China Masters semifinals, where he will face France’s Christo Popov for a place in the final.
For Srikanth, the quarterfinal exit ends a promising campaign but also provides another positive sign as the experienced Indian looks to regain consistency on the international badminton circuit.
source – India Today
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