SHENZHEN — India’s veteran shuttler Kidambi Srikanth bowed out of the China Masters 2026 on Friday after falling in straight games to Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu in a hard-fought quarterfinal clash in Shenzhen.
Srikanth, who had reached his first Super 750 quarterfinal in three years, lost 16-21, 16-21 in a match that lasted 39 minutes.
The Indian shuttler started the opening game on a promising note, taking the first two points. However, Lee quickly found his rhythm, dictating the pace and establishing an early control that Srikanth struggled to break. Despite a late surge from Srikanth, Lee held his nerve to close out the first set by five points.
Srikanth launched a strong recovery in the second game, opening up an encouraging 4-0 lead. A flurry of four consecutive unforced errors by Srikanth allowed Lee to level the scores. The two players exchanged blows in a tight tussle, with Srikanth briefly regaining the advantage at 15-14. However, Lee dominated the closing stages, winning seven of the next eight points to seal victory and advance to the semifinals.
Despite the quarterfinal exit, the tournament marked a significant turnaround for Srikanth. The former World No. 1 opened his China Masters campaign with a commanding 21-16, 21-15 victory over Chinese Taipei's Chi Yu-jen before stunning ninth seed Victor Lai 21-18, 21-19 in the round of 16.
While the momentum was halted by Lee Cheuk Yiu on Friday, Srikanth's deep run in Shenzhen offers positive signs as he continues his resurgence on the BWF World Tour.
