Shenzhen, Sept. 2 -- India's star shuttler Lakshya Sen was knocked out in the opening round of the China Masters 2026 in Shenzhen on Wednesday, while former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth progressed to the pre-quarterfinals, according to Olympics.com.

World No. 13 Lakshya suffered a 21-14, 21-7 defeat to Canada's world No. 9 Victor Lai in a 38-minute contest. The Indian made a strong start, racing to a 4-0 lead, but Lai fought back to take an 11-8 advantage at the interval. The Canadian then extended his lead with a five-point burst to move 17-11 ahead and eventually close out the opening game.

The second game was even more one-sided, with Lai leading 11-4 at the interval before sealing a comfortable victory.

The result capped another in...