Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag eye China Masters boost ahead of Asian Games

Lakshya Sen and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty lead India's challenge at the China Masters Super 750. With the Asian Games approaching, the tournament offers the country's leading shuttlers a chance to build form and momentum.Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag build towards Asian Games at China Masters. (Photo: PTI, Reuters)Lakshya Sen and the Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty combination headline India’s challenge at the USD 1.25 million China Masters Super 750, with the tournament offering an important opportunity to build momentum ahead of the Asian Games. Sen begins his campaign against newly crowned world champion Alex Lanier of France, while Satwik and Chirag will also face a tricky opening-round assignment.For Sen, the tournament comes at an important juncture after a disappointing World Championships campaign. The 24-year-old, who made history by becoming the first Indian man to reach an Olympic singles semi-final at Paris 2024, suffered a surprise second-round defeat to world No. 92 Garret Tan and will now be looking to rediscover the form that took him to the All England final earlier this season.Lanier, however, presents a formidable first hurdle. The Frenchman arrives in China as the reigning world champion, making Sen’s opening match one of the standout contests in the men’s singles draw.India’s other leading singles hope, former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, will take on Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu-jen. Srikanth reached the US Open Super 300 final in June but has struggled to maintain that level since, retiring from his Canada Open match with an injury before exiting the Korea Masters in the opening round. SATWIK-CHIRAG LOOK TO BUILD MOMENTUMSatwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty enter the Super 750 as the fourth seeds and will be among India’s strongest medal hopes. The pair ended a two-year wait for an international title by winning the Singapore Open earlier this year, but their World Championships run ended in the third round on home soil.Their China Masters campaign begins against China’s Hu Ke Yuan and Lin Xiang Yi, who lifted the Orleans Masters title this season. Satwik’s recurring shoulder problem remains a factor, but the tournament gives the pair valuable competition ahead of their Asian Games title defence in Japan.YOUNG INDIANS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT India’s women’s singles challenge will feature Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma and Devika Sihag, with all three facing tests against established opposition.Unnati, 18, has fifth seed Han Yue of China in the opening round. The Rohtak shuttler has already won three BWF World Tour titles, including the Odisha Open, Abu Dhabi Masters and Odisha Masters.Tanvi, 17, will meet Denmark’s Amalie Schulz. The former junior world No. 1 became the youngest winner of the Taipei Open Super 300 this year, adding another landmark to her rapid rise.Devika will face Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova after arriving in China on the back of victory at the Thailand Masters Super 300.Elsewhere, Hariharan Amsakarunan and M R Arjun face 2021 world champions Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi, while Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto take on Thailand’s Tonkid and Tonrug Saeheng. Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde will meet Chinese Taipei’s Wu Guan Xun and Lee Chia Hsin in the mixed doubles.- EndsPublished By: Debodinna ChakrabortyPublished On: Aug 31, 2026 10:56 IST