India’s China Masters campaign suffered an early setback on Tuesday as men’s doubles pair Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun retired from their opening-round match against China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi.
The Indian duo, ranked No. 24 in the world, were trailing the No. 10-ranked Chinese pair 11–8 at the first-game interval when they decided not to continue. The reason for the retirement was not immediately confirmed, although reports indicated possible fitness concerns.
A promising fightback falls short
The match initially appeared to be heading in China’s favour.
Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi came out strongly and quickly built a 5–1 lead. They continued to control the early exchanges, extending their advantage to 7–3.
However, Hariharan and Arjun refused to let the opening game slip away without a fight. The Indians gradually recovered their rhythm and levelled the score at 7–7, bringing themselves right back into the contest.
The Chinese pair responded immediately, regaining the lead and eventually reaching the interval at 11–8.
That, however, proved to be the end of the contest.
The Indian pair did not return after the interval, handing Chen and Liu a first-round victory and bringing their China Masters campaign to an unexpectedly early conclusion.
Match at a glance
Tournament: China Masters 2026
Category: BWF Super 750
Event: Men’s Doubles, First Round
Hariharan Amsakarunan/M.R. Arjun: World No. 24
Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yi: World No. 10
Score at retirement: 8–11
Result: Hariharan–Arjun retired at the first-game interval
Status: Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yi advance
Another early setback for the Indian pair
The result comes soon after Hariharan and Arjun’s disappointing run at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, where they were eliminated in the Round of 32.
The Indian combination lost 21–17, 21–14 to South Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Ki Dong Ju in that match.
The China Masters was therefore another opportunity for the pair to build momentum against a high-ranked international combination. Instead, their campaign ended after just one game.
Asian Games now become the bigger target
Despite the disappointing finish in Shenzhen, the pair will have little time to dwell on the result. Their attention now turns towards the Asian Games, which begin later this month.
M.R. Arjun already has Asian Games experience, having been part of the Indian men’s team that won the silver medal at the 2023 Asian Games.
For Hariharan and Arjun, the immediate priority will be recovery and preparation. With the reason behind their retirement not officially established, avoiding unnecessary speculation will be important while the pair looks ahead to the next major challenge.
China Masters moves on without the Indians
Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi, meanwhile, move into the next round. They are scheduled to face the winners of the match between Japan’s Hiroki Okamura/Kyohei Yamashita and Malaysia’s Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik.
For India, the early exit adds to a difficult opening day at the China Masters. The focus will now shift to the rest of the Indian contingent, with leading names such as Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy–Chirag Shetty still to begin their campaigns.
Hariharan and Arjun may have left Shenzhen earlier than expected, but with the Asian Games approaching, their season still has a much bigger chapter ahead.
Discussion about this post