Daijiworld Media Network – Shenzhen

Shenzhen Sep 2: India's Lakshya Sen's difficult run continued as he suffered a straight-games defeat to Canada's Victor Lai in the opening round of the China Masters on Wednesday.

The 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, who made a promising start by taking an early 4-0 lead, struggled to maintain his momentum as Lai gradually took control of the contest. The Canadian won 21-14, 21-7 in 38 minutes.

Lai, ranked ninth in the world, used his strong defence to frustrate Sen and force him into longer rallies. Sen committed several errors, particularly towards the backhand sideline, allowing Lai to establish a firm advantage and close out the opening game.

There was little improvement from Sen after the break. Lai continued to absorb his attacks and extend the rallies, while Sen's frustration grew. The Canadian moved 11-4 ahead and maintained his advantage until the end, sealing the second game 21-7 to send Sen out at the first hurdle.

The result also strengthened Lai's advantage in their head-to-head record, with the Canadian now having won three of their four meetings. Sen's only victory over Lai came at the All England Championships in March.

The defeat adds to Sen's recent struggles after he also suffered an early exit at the World Championships held in India last month.

Meanwhile, Kidambi Srikanth provided some relief for India by advancing to the second round. The 2021 World Championships silver medallist defeated Chinese Taipei's Chi Yu Jen 21-16, 21-15 in his opening match.

India also progressed in mixed doubles, with Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto defeating Thailand's Tonnakorn Saeheng and Tonnicha Saeheng 21-8, 21-9.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were scheduled to begin their men's doubles campaign later on Wednesday, while Tanvi Sharma and Devika Sihag were set to compete in women's singles.