Kidambi Srikanth ousted in China Masters quarterfinals

Kidambi Srikanth's run at the China Masters Super 750 ended in the quarterfinals on Friday after the former world No. 1 went down in straight games to Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu.

The 33-year-old Indian, who finished runner-up at the US Open Super 300 earlier this year, lost 16-21, 16-21 to the world No. 25 in a 39-minute contest.

Srikanth had looked sharp in the previous round, beating world No. 9 Victor Lai of Canada 21-18, 21-19 in the Round of 16.

But against Lee Cheuk, he struggled to sustain his early momentum and spent much of the match playing catch-up.

Srikanth made a quick start in the opening game, racing to a 3-0 lead, but Lee Cheuk soon found his rhythm. The Hong Kong shuttler levelled at 3-3 before producing a six-point burst to move 14-6 ahead.

Srikanth attempted a comeback but could not close the gap as Lee Cheuk held his nerve to take the opening game.

The second game was more closely fought, with Srikanth again taking an early 4-0 lead. Lee Cheuk responded by drawing level at 4-4, setting up a tight contest in which neither player managed to establish a significant advantage.

The two remained locked at 15-15 before Lee Cheuk shifted gears. He reeled off three consecutive points to take an 18-15 lead and then produced another three-point burst to seal the match 21-16.

Lee Cheuk, 30, will face world No. 2 Christo Popov of France in the semifinals.

The Hong Kong player had also produced a notable performance at the Singapore Open in May, coming from a difficult position to defeat All England champion Lin Chun-yi.