Shi Yuqi Photo: VCG

The Badminton Asia Championships officially kicked off its main draw on Wednesday in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province, marking the start of a six-day showdown set to run through Sunday. 

This Super 1000-level event, the only one of its kind in China during the first half of 2026, has drawn 285 athletes from 23 countries and regions across Asia to compete in men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.

The tournament serves as a critical warm-up for many teams ahead of the Thomas and Uber Cup finals in Denmark in May. 

China has fielded its strongest possible lineup, with the squad closely mirroring the one everyone expected for the prestigious team event. 

In men's singles, the hosts are represented by Shi Yuqi, Li Shifeng, Weng Hongyang, and Lu Guangzu. 

Women's singles sees a change due to defending champion Chen Yufei's withdrawal because of injury; new All England Open champion Wang Zhiyi now leads the charge, supported by Han Yue and Gao Fangjie. 

Men's doubles features four pairs, including pair Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang as well as pair Chen Boyang and Liu Yi, while women's doubles includes powerhouses Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning and pair Jia Yifan and Zhang ­Shuxian. 

Mixed doubles sees four Chinese combinations, headlined by world No.1 pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping as well as Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin, all aiming for podium finishes.

Action on the opening day of the main draw delivered both expected dominance from top seeds and a handful of surprises. 

In men's singles, China's second seed Shi Yuqi made a confident start, defeating Chinese Taipei's Lee Chia-hao 21-15, 21-17 to advance to the second round. The victory showcased Shi's steady baseline play and tactical control, aligning with his status as one of the event's leading contenders.

However, not all Chinese men's singles players enjoyed smooth passage. Fifth seed Li Shifeng, a key member of the national squad, suffered a straight-sets upset loss to India's Ayush Shetty, going down 13-21, 16-21 in 51 minutes. The defeat highlights the depth of competition in the men's draw and serves as an early reminder of the high stakes even in the round of 32.

In women's singles, Wang Zhiyi, stepping up in the absence of Chen Yufei, cruised past Chinese Taipei's Chiu Pin-chian 21-16, 21-12. The win underlined Wang's recent form as the reigning All England champion and positioned her as a strong favorite to go deep in the tournament. 

Mixed doubles, which featured some opening-round matches around the tournament's start, produced one of the biggest stories of the early phase. 

Defending champions Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet of Hong Kong were eliminated in a three-game thriller by Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi, who prevailed 19-21, 21-19, 21-17 in 70 minutes. 

The result guarantees a new winner in the event. 

China's top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping, however, powered through their opener with a dominant 21-5, 21-13 win over Thailand's Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai. Another Chinese pair, Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui, also advanced, beating Chinese Taipei's Wu Guan-xun and Lee Chia-hsin 21-17, 21-18.

The day also saw progress for several Chinese doubles pairs in line with the national team's depth, though specific scores for all combinations were not immediately detailed in early reports. 

Defending champions and top seeds in various doubles disciplines, including potential Chinese contenders like Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning in women's doubles, are expected to feature prominently as the draw progresses into the round of 16 and beyond.

The Asia Championships offer not only continental glory but also crucial ranking points and momentum heading into the Thomas and Uber Cup. For the Chinese team, the event represents the most significant competitive opportunity before the May team championships in Denmark.