India’s challenge at the China Open 2026 came to an end on Thursday, July 23, after PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty were all eliminated in the second round of the BWF Super 1000 tournament in Changzhou.
Sindhu came closest to advancing, taking fourth seed Chen Yufei to three games before the home favourite recovered to book a place in the quarter-finals. The former world champion eventually went down 16-21, 22-20, 21-18 after an hour and 29 minutes of competition. The defeat came just a week after Sindhu had overcome Chen Yufei in the semi-finals of the Japan Open on her way to lifting the title.ย
Notably, Sindhu produced a strong recovery in the opening game after trailing 12-6. She erased the deficit to level at 16-16 before winning five of the next six points to move ahead in the contest. The Indian looked on course to seal victory in straight games when she reached 20-16 in the second game, earning four match points. Chen Yufei, however, denied each opportunity, winning six successive points to force the match into a deciding game.
Sindhu again made the brighter start in the decider, but the momentum shifted during the closing exchanges as the Chinese fourth seed completed the comeback and secured her place in the last eight.
What happened with Ayush Shetty, Lakshya Sen?
Earlier in the day, Ayush Shetty also exited after surrendering a winning position against Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen. The world No. 23 claimed the opening game 21-15 before losing the next two 13-21, 20-22. Shetty held a 19-15 lead in the deciding game but was unable to convert it into victory.
Lakshya Sen’s campaign also ended in the round of 16 after the world No. 14 lost 21-19, 21-11 to Canada’s Victor Lai, who is ranked eighth. Sen had established a 15-9 advantage in the opening game before the Canadian fought back to take control of the match.
The meeting marked another chapter in their recent rivalry after the pair had faced each other in the All England Open semi-finals earlier this year, where Sen emerged victorious in a deciding game.
Following their exits in Changzhou, the Indian shuttlers are scheduled to return to competition at the Taipei Open BWF Super 300 tournament, which begins on July 28.
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