Lakshya Sen Faces World Champion Lanier In Tough China Masters Opener

Lakshya Sen will look to bounce back from his disappointing World Championships campaign when he leads India’s challenge at the USD 1.25 million China Masters Super 750, beginning Tuesday.

Sen faces a formidable opening-round opponent in France’s newly crowned world champion Alex Lanier. The Indian star, who became the first Indian male shuttler to reach an Olympic semifinal at Paris 2024, will be keen to regain consistency after suffering a surprise second-round defeat to world No. 92 Garrett Tan at the Worlds.

The 24-year-old has enjoyed some notable results this season, including a runner-up finish at the All England Championships, and will hope to rediscover his best form against a strong field in Shenzhen.

Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth will also be looking for a turnaround. He takes on Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu-jen after reaching the US Open Super 300 final in June. His campaign since then has been interrupted by an injury-forced retirement at the Canada Open and a first-round loss at the Korea Masters.

In men’s doubles, fourth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty remain among India’s biggest hopes. The pair ended a two-year wait for an international title by winning the Singapore Open earlier this year. They open against China’s Hu Ke Yuan and Lin Xiang Yi.

India’s young women’s singles trio will also attract attention. Unnati Hooda faces fifth seed Han Yue, while Tanvi Sharma takes on Denmark’s Amalie Schulz. Devika Sihag, fresh from winning the Thailand Masters Super 300, meets Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova.

With established names seeking redemption and emerging stars chasing breakthroughs, China Masters offers India another opportunity to make a strong statement on the international stage.