Lakshya Sen Vs Yushi Tanaka Highlights, China Open 2026: Lakshya Sen Enters Round Of 16 With Clinical Win

Hello and welcome back to another live blog! This time, it's an epic men's singles clash as Lakshya Sen takes on Yushi Tanaka in the BWF China Open 2026. Stay tuned for live, point-by-point updates throughout the match.

The highly anticipated men's singles opening round clash between India's Lakshya Sen and Japan's Yushi Tanaka at the China Open is scheduled to get underway from approximately 7:35 PM. Fans can expect an electrifying contest as both shuttlers take to the court at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre to fight for a crucial spot in the next round.

The China Open 2026 badminton matches will be streamed live on the BWF TV YouTube channel in India. However, details regarding the live telecast and TV channel for the China Open are not available.

Lakshya Sen’s recent form on the BWF World Tour has been a mix of deep tournament runs and early-round exits. The highlight of his season came with a stellar runner-up finish at the prestigious All England Open, where he scored impressive wins over top-tier opponents like Shi Yuqi and Li Shifeng before narrowly falling to Lin Chun-yi in the final. However, outside of that remarkable run, the Indian shuttler has experienced some inconsistency, suffering opening-round exits at events like the Indonesia Open and the recent Japan Open, while occasionally reaching the quarter-finals at tournaments such as the Thailand Open and Singapore Open.

Yushi Tanaka’s recent form on the BWF World Tour features notable deep runs and a high-profile title victory. The standout achievement of his season came at the Super 300 Swiss Open, where he clinched the men's singles crown with a commanding straight-game victory over Indonesia's Alwi Farhan. More recently, the Japanese shuttler displayed brilliant form at the Japan Open, stunning world No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn en route to reaching the semi-finals before narrowly bowing out to compatriot Koki Watanabe. While he has suffered occasional early exits at events like the All England Open, his consistent quarter-final finishes at the Indonesia Open and strong tactical performances establish him as a dangerous contender on the tour.

The highly anticipated first-round match between Lakshya Sen and Yushi Tanaka has experienced a slight delay due to preceding matches running over time at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre. Tournament organizers have updated the schedule, and the clash is now expected to get underway from 8:05 PM IST. Fans waiting to catch the action will have to exercise a little more patience as both shuttlers prepare to take to the court for this crucial showdown.

As the China Open gets underway in Changzhou, India's contingent has had a mixed start across categories. While veteran campaigns and opening hurdles unfold—highlighted by high-profile draws such as PV Sindhu squaring off against compatriot Unnati Hooda in the women's singles opening round—other Indian contenders are fighting hard to make their mark. Shuttlers like HS Prannoy and Ayush Shetty are looking to navigate tough early-round test matches against strong international opponents, while mixed doubles pairs like Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto aim to build momentum. With top pairs like Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty sitting out to fine-tune their preparations for upcoming majors, the rest of the Indian squad is under pressure to deliver steady, deep runs at this elite Super 1000 event.

The wait is finally over as India's Lakshya Sen and Japan's Yushi Tanaka have stepped onto Court 3 at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre. The two shuttlers are currently going through their final pre-match warm-ups, testing the drift and getting a feel for the court surface as the officials and linespersons take their positions. With the atmosphere building and the crowd settling in, the opening-round clash is set to get underway shortly.

Lakshya Sen started the opening game with brilliant control, utilizing sharp baseline placements and explosive smashes to trouble his opponent. Although the Indian shuttler managed to secure a narrow 11-10 lead heading into the mid-game interval, Yushi Tanaka mounted a strong late comeback by significantly amping up his court coverage and pace, turning the contest into a tight battle.

Yushi Tanaka severely troubled Lakshya Sen in the latter stages of the opening game with his relentless intensity and sublime net play, eventually upping the pace to completely overwhelm the Indian and sneak ahead at 20-19. However, displaying immense resilience, Lakshya cleverly altered the tempo of the rallies and relied on precise tactical placements to engineer a brilliant comeback from the brink, snatching the first game 22-20 in a thrilling thriller.

Yushi Tanaka entered the mid-game interval of the second game with a narrow 11-10 lead. Although Lakshya Sen had started the game strongly by taking an early advantage, Tanaka shifted the momentum by deploying a high-risk tactical strategy—alternating sharply between deep clears and sudden short drops. Despite committing a few errors along the way, his calculated gamble paid off by forcing Lakshya into a string of unforced mistakes.

Yushi Tanaka comfortably claimed the second game 21-15 to force a deciding game. Although Lakshya Sen attempted to disrupt his opponent's momentum by varying his serves between short and long, the Indian shuttler struggled to find any sustained rhythm. Meanwhile, Tanaka's powerful smashes remained clinical and precise throughout, effectively keeping Lakshya on the back foot. With the match level at one game apiece, the duo will now clash in a high-stakes decider to determine who advances to the next round.

Lakshya Sen adopted a fresh tactical approach in the decider, utilizing quick, short exchanges to disrupt Yushi Tanaka's rhythm and put his opponent under pressure. Although Tanaka attempted to turn the tide by employing deep lofts, Lakshya handled them with impressive composure and court coverage. The Indian shuttler's proactive play earned him an 11-8 lead heading into the mid-game interval, leaving Tanaka eager to clean up his unforced errors and mount a comeback in the second half.

Lakshya Sen sealed a hard-fought victory, winning the match 22-20, 14-21, 21-15 to advance to the round of 16. After the interval, Yushi Tanaka mounted a brief challenge and grabbed some momentary momentum, but Lakshya shut the door by unleashing three consecutive, explosive smashes that snatched the initiative right back. From there, the Indian shuttler maintained total control, expertly using Tanaka's growing desperation to his advantage to close out the decider and secure a memorable win.