2 min readMar 4, 2026 08:53 AM ISTShi Yuqi added that he had also faced issues with his wrist, on a day when Lakshya Sen used his snap-wrist to deadly effect. (Badminton Photo)World champion and All England holder said it wasn’t entirely unexpected to him, as he lost 23-21, 19-21, 21-17 to Lakshya Sen in the first round. It was his earliest exit from a tournament since Thailand Open three summers ago in 2023.As Sen recreated a victory from the 2023 Asian Games team final to hike up his head-to-head to 2-4, Yuqi told the BWF, “It is normal to lose a game, and especially when I haven’t played any tournament for so long and also from the back injury I had.”Yuqi last made finals at Malaysia Open Super 1000 in January, before he was brought down by injury. The Chinese made 6/6 finals in his last half dozen tournaments.He added that he had also faced issues with his wrist, on a day when Sen used his snap-wrist to deadly effect. “There was e discomfort inmy wrist as well. So in general I’m not in my best form. And I only had one week practice before this,” Yuqi told BWF.ALSO READ | Lakshya Sen rides underdog tag and catapult smash to upset World No. 1 Shi Yuqi at All EnglandSen’s superior movement and retrieving combined with an assured attack, and snappy hits that went fast and far with a whippy wrist. Yuqi though thought both made several errors. “We both made quite a few mistakes, but I think I’ve tried to play the best of what I could in this match.”“He [Lakshya] was timing the smash well and that made a huge impact. Shi was not expecting really hard smashes from Lakshya today,” coach Vimal Kumar said.Story continues below this adThe coach lauded his ward for staying very calm and composed. He added: “Right from the start, he made Shi work hard for every single point, and eventually the Chinese player began to tire. Overall, it was a very confidence-boosting win. Lakshya’s Holi gift for Indian Badminton today.”Two of the top 8 seeds exited on the first day, with French Alex Lanier going down 21-12, 21-23, 23-21 to Victor Lai. © IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Lakshya Sen