India’s Lakshya Sen produced the shock of the opening day at the All England Open 2026, knocking out top seed and defending champion Shi Yu Qi in a pulsating first-round men’s singles clash.
Sen, runner-up in 2022, defeated the world No.1, 23-21, 19-21, 21-17 in one hour and 18 minutes at the Utilita Arena Birmingham, ending Shi’s bid to become the first back-to-back men’s singles champion since Lee Chong Wei in 2011.
It was Sen’s first win over Shi in individual competition. The Indian set the tone early, surging to a 17-10 lead in the opening game before withstanding a fierce fightback. Shi saved multiple game points but could not prevent Sen from edging it 23-21.
The Chinese star responded in the second game to level the contest, but Sen regained the initiative in the decider. Controlling the net exchanges and attacking with precision, he built a 16-11 cushion and converted his fourth match point to complete the upset. He next faces Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long.
There were further high-profile casualties.
Seventh seed Alex Lanier of France was beaten by Canada’s Victor Lai 21-12, 21-23, 23-21 in an 87-minute battle while European counterpart and third seed Anders Antonsen exited after a 21-8, 21-12 loss to Japan’s Koki Watanabe in 40 minutes.
Watanabe is up against Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao next, who advanced with a 21-17, 13-21, 21-18 victory over Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto – his fourth career win over the higher-ranked opponent.
In mixed doubles, Malaysia’s reigning world champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei suffered a second straight first-round exit in Birmingham. The fourth seeds were edged 21-18, 12-21, 25-23 by Denmark’s unseeded pair Rasmus Espersen and Amalie Cecilie Kudsk in 62 minutes, extending Malaysia’s wait for a maiden All England mixed doubles title.
In contrast, women’s singles top seed and defending champion An Se Young progressed comfortably, beating Turkey’s Neslihan Arin 21-8, 21-6 in just 27 minutes. Third seed Chen Yu Fei and Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani also progressed through.
In men’s doubles, defending champions Kim Won Ho/ Seo Seung Jae advanced after defeating England’s Ben Lane and Sean Vendy. The home pair retired in the second following Vendy’s injury. They will next face Denmark’s Kim Astrup/ Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, who dispatched Malaysia’s Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal in 27 minutes.
China’s top pair Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang progressed with a 21-16, 21-19 win over Japan’s Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami.
There were no major upsets in women’s doubles, with top seeds Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning, along with compatriots Jia Yifan/Zhang Shu Xian, safely progressing to the second round.
