Overview
- On Wednesday, Sept. 2, Lakshya Sen was eliminated in the opening round by Canada’s Victor Lai, losing 14-21, 7-21 and extending a run of poor results since the World Championships.
- Unnati Hooda and Devika Sihag bowed out in their first matches, with Hooda losing 21-10, 21-18 to Kim Ga-eun on Sept. 1 and Sihag falling 18-21, 15-21 to Kaloyana Nalbantova.
- Kidambi Srikanth and 17-year-old Tanvi Sharma won their opening singles matches to reach the last 16, providing the squad with some immediate relief.
- India’s doubles and mixed pairs produced stronger results, with Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto progressing comfortably and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty moving into the next round as one of the country’s main medal hopes.
- Alex Lanier’s pre-tournament withdrawal removed the anticipated Sen–Lanier opener and the China Masters’ large prize pool and 11,000 ranking points for winners mean performances here will affect selection and form ahead of the Asian Games.