Anders Antonsen battled back from a set down to defeat rising Chinese talent Hu Zhean in the opening round of the BWF Lingshui China Masters 2026 on Tuesday evening.

The fifth-seeded Dane struggled early but responded impressively to complete a three-set comeback, winning 19-21, 21-11, 21-16 and securing his place in the next round.

Antonsen, who recently suffered a disappointing quarter-final exit at the World Championships against Kodai Naraoka, will now look to make a deeper run in China as he aims to put that setback behind him.

The Dane could have a promising path through the top half of the draw, particularly after several notable names were sent crashing out in the opening round.

Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn was pushed to the brink of elimination, but the former world champion managed to survive a tense deciding game, edging it 22-20 to advance.

There was no such escape for former Chinese World No. 1 Shi Yuqi, however. The home favorite was comfortably beaten by Loh Kean Yew, going down 11-21, 10-21 in straight games.

Rasmus Gemke also saw his tournament come to an early end despite an impressive run at the recent World Championships. The Dane was unable to reproduce his best form, losing 17-21, 14-21 to Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto.

With several seeded players already eliminated, Antonsen’s comeback victory could prove particularly valuable as he looks to take advantage of an increasingly open draw in Shenzhen.