China Masters 2025: PV Sindhu starts in style, Ayush Shetty falls to sixth seed Chou Tien Chen

Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya Sen will begin their campaign on Wednesday.

A week after her shocking first-round exit at the Hong Kong Open, PV Sindhu started strong at the China Masters 2025 with straight games win in just 27 minutes in the opening round on Tuesday.

Sindhu, who last won a Super 500 or bigger title in 2022, saw-off Denmark’s Julie Jakobsen 21-5, 21-10 to advance to the next round in Shenzhen. She had lost to the same opponent in the same stage at Swiss Open in March.

With this win, Sindhu will now face Thailand’s sixth-seeded Pornpawee Chochuwong in the second round. The Indian star, who stunned world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi at the World Championships, is seeking consistency after a mixed 2025 season marked by multiple early exits.

In men’s singles, 20-year-old Ayush Shetty put up a valiant effort against Chinese Taipei’s world No. 5 Chou Tien Chen. After dropping the first game 19-21, Ayush rallied to take the second 21-12 but ultimately succumbed 16-21 in the decider.

Despite the loss, Shetty showcased his fighting spirit, echoing his remarkable form at the US Open Super 300 earlier this year, where he had won India’s first World Tour title of 2025.

Last week, Ayush lost in the quarter-finals to compatriot Lakshya Sen in three games, underlining the young shuttler’s rapid rise in men’s singles.

Also Read: China Masters 2025: Updated schedule, fixtures, results & live streaming details

In mixed doubles, the Indian pairing of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde fell to Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara in straight games, 21-17, 21-11, ending their campaign on the opening day.

Notably, men’s doubles stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, along with Paris 2024 men’s singles semi-finalist Lakshya Sen, are scheduled to begin their campaigns on Wednesday, raising hopes for deep runs in the tournament.

Lakshya Sen is set to take on world No. 13 Toma Jr. Popov in the round of 32. Fresh off his runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open last week, Sen will be aiming to go one step further and clinch the title this time.

Day 1 saw a mix of dominance and near misses for the Indian team, with Sindhu leading the charge with a commanding win while Ayush and the mixed doubles duo displayed competitive grit.

As the tournament progresses, fans will be eager to see whether the Indian stars can translate these early performances into victories on the Super 750 stage.

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