Kidambi Srikanth's Campaign: Suffers Straight-Game Defeat Against Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu
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Indian badminton stalwart Kidambi Srikanth’s impressive run at the prestigious China Masters came to an end in the quarterfinals on Friday. Competing in the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament in Shenzhen, the former world number one fought valiantly but ultimately fell in straight games to Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu, marking a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise encouraging week on the international circuit.
Quarterfinal Clash: How the Match Unfolded in Shenzhen
Facing off against Lee Cheuk Yiu, Srikanth initially displayed promising intent, grabbing early points in the opening game. However, the Hong Kong shuttler quickly leveled the score, seized tactical control, and maintained a steady advantage to take the first game 21-16.
The second game saw a more aggressive start from the Indian veteran, who raced to a 4-0 lead. Despite conceding consecutive unforced errors, Srikanth dug deep and even managed a 15-14 lead midway through. Capitalizing on critical scoring lapses, Lee regrouped swiftly to seal the second game identically at 21-16, handing Srikanth his fourth consecutive career defeat against the Hong Kong opponent, whose sole prior loss to the Indian dates back to the 2018 India Open.
A Silver Lining: Srikanth's Best BWF Tour Performance in Three Years
Despite the quarterfinal exit, the tournament marked a significant positive milestone for Kidambi Srikanth, representing his deep-stretching best performance at a major BWF event in three years. Srikanth began his campaign in Shenzhen with a clinical straight-game victory over Chinese Taipei's Chi Yu-Jen (21-16, 21-15) in just 35 minutes. He followed it up with a stunning upset in the pre-quarterfinals, defeating world number 9 Victor Lai (21-18, 21-19) to showcase glimpses of his vintage form on the global stage.
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