Shenzhen (China), Sep 1 (IANS) China’s Shi Yuqi suffered a straight-game defeat to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew at the 2026 BWF China Masters in Shenzhen on Tuesday, making an early exit for the second consecutive tournament following the World Championships.
The clash between sixth seed Shi and Loh was one of the highlights of the opening day, with the pair having won the world title in 2025 and 2021, respectively. However, Shi struggled throughout the match and was beaten 21-11, 21-10 in just 30 minutes.
After suffering first-round exits at both the World Championships and China Masters, Shi admitted that he was not in his best condition, reports Xinhua.
“I had a low fever for a week after the World Championships and felt quite unwell. I’m fully recovered now. I really gave it my all in this match,” Shi said.
Another Chinese player, Hu Zhean, put up a strong fight but was eliminated by fifth seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark, who came from behind to win 19-21, 21-11, 21-16.
In women’s singles, China’s Han Qianxi cruised past Pai Yu-po of Chinese Taipei 21-10, 21-9 and will face top seed An Se-young of South Korea in the next round. An advanced with a comfortable 21-11, 21-3 victory over Lin Hsiang-ti of Chinese Taipei.
Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong was beaten 21-14, 21-15 by Chiu Pin-chian of Chinese Taipei.
Men’s doubles top seeds Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae of South Korea were also knocked out in the first round, losing 21-19, 21-19 to Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Karnando and Daniel Marthin.
Kim said the pair would immediately turn their attention to preparations for the upcoming Asian Games. “First, we need to adjust our physical condition and ensure that we can train systematically without injuries. We also need to focus on maintaining our concentration and executing our planned tactics,” he added.
In mixed doubles, top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping of China survived a thrilling encounter with Japan’s Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi. The two pairs battled into a deciding game, where Feng and Huang missed six match points before finally holding their nerve to prevail 27-25 and book a place in the last 16.
–IANS
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