Kidambi Srikanth’s encouraging campaign at the 2026 China Masters came to an end on Friday after the Indian shuttler suffered a straight-games defeat against Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu in the quarterfinals.
Playing at the Shenzhen Arena in Shenzhen, Guangdong, Srikanth went down 16-21, 16-21 as Cheuk Yiu continued his recent dominance in their head-to-head meetings.
Srikanth began the opening game positively, picking up the first two points and looking to put his opponent under early pressure. Cheuk Yiu, however, quickly recovered from the slow start and began to take control of proceedings.
Once ahead, the Hong Kong player managed to protect his advantage despite Srikanth mounting a late challenge. Cheuk Yiu eventually closed out the opening game 21-16 and carried that momentum into the second.
Srikanth was unable to find the response required to force a deciding game. Cheuk Yiu maintained his grip on the contest and took the second by an identical 21-16 scoreline to secure his place in the semifinals.
The result also extended a difficult run for Srikanth against Cheuk Yiu. The Indian has now lost four consecutive matches against the Hong Kong shuttler. Srikanth’s only victory in their head-to-head record came during the first round of the 2018 India Open.
Despite Friday’s defeat, Srikanth leaves Shenzhen after putting together a notable run at the tournament.
He booked his quarterfinal spot by defeating World No. 9 Victor Lai in straight games in the previous round, producing one of the standout results of his campaign.
Srikanth had also impressed in his opening-round encounter against Chinese Taipei’s World No. 21 Chi Yu-jen. The Indian needed only 35 minutes to complete a 21-16, 21-15 victory and move into the next stage.
While Cheuk Yiu ultimately prevented him from progressing further, reaching the last eight represented an important milestone for Srikanth.
The China Masters was his first quarterfinal appearance at a BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament or higher-level event in three years, making the Shenzhen run a significant step forward despite its straight-games conclusion.
