Kunlavut Vitidsarn crashed out of the BWF China Open 2026 in the first round on Wednesday, losing a thrilling three-game battle to Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke. As a result, the world No. 2 from Thailand suffered one of the tournament’s biggest upsets so far.
At the Super 1000 event in Changzhou, Jiangsu, the unseeded Gemke defeated Vitidsarn 21-13, 8-21, 21-19. Consequently, the Dane improved his head-to-head record against the Thai star to three wins in seven meetings. Although Vitidsarn led 19-17 in the decisive final game, he then conceded four straight points to hand Gemke the win. Meanwhile, his second-game response had been emphatic, so the collapse in the decider proved especially costly given how close he came to closing it out.
Furthermore, Gemke’s win snapped a lengthy title drought on the World Tour, since the Dane had not claimed a win of this magnitude in several months. Nevertheless, he will now face a stern test against fellow European Toma Junior Popov for a place in the quarterfinals, so his run in Changzhou is far from over.
Christie and Loh Kean Yew Advance Safely
In contrast, Indonesia’s world No. 4 Jonatan Christie avoided any such slip-up at this year’s China Open 2026. He overcame Yudai Okimoto 21-17, 6-21, 21-13 to reach the second round, despite dropping the middle game heavily to the resilient Japanese shuttler. Similarly, Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew progressed with ease, seeing off Kenta Nishimoto 21-10, 21-10 in straight games to continue his solid run of form on tour.
Yamaguchi Cruises Through Women’s Draw
Meanwhile, in the women’s singles draw, three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi wasted little time advancing. She dismissed Thailand’s Supanida Katethong 21-13, 21-1 in just 24 minutes, therefore setting up a comfortable path into the next round. Overall, Wednesday’s results at the China Open 2026 delivered both drama and dominance, as top seeds fought hard to keep their campaigns alive at one of the season’s marquee Super 1000 tournaments in China.
