India Take Early 1-0 Lead vs Chinese Taipei in Thomas Cup 2026 as Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag Shine
India made a strong start in their quarterfinal clash against Chinese Taipei at the Thomas Cup 2026, with Lakshya Sen and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy–Chirag Shetty delivering key wins to put the team ahead 1-0 in the tie.
Lakshya Sen sets the tone in opening match
The tie began with a high-quality singles contest where Lakshya Sen produced a composed and aggressive performance against Chou Tien Chen. After a tight battle across three games, Lakshya held his nerve to clinch a crucial opening win for India, giving them an early advantage in the tie.
His victory ensured India started the quarterfinal on the front foot, continuing his strong form in the tournament.
Satwik–Chirag deliver under pressure
In the second match, India’s world-class doubles duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty faced a tough challenge against Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-lin.
The Indian pair had to fight hard in a closely contested opening game, but their experience and composure proved decisive. After trailing in parts of the game, Satwik and Chirag staged a strong comeback to take the first game 23-21, extending India’s overall lead to 1-0 in the tie.
A crucial rally midway through the game shifted momentum in India’s favour, and the pair eventually capitalised on unforced errors from the opposition to close out the opener.
India eye strong finish in quarterfinal
With momentum firmly on their side, India entered the remaining matches of the tie in a confident position. The team, led by Lakshya Sen along with key contributions expected from Ayush Shetty and others, is aiming to secure a semifinal berth and move one step closer to a second Thomas Cup title after their historic triumph in 2022.
India had earlier shown strong form in the tournament, registering convincing wins in the group stage before going down to defending champions China. The quarterfinal clash against Chinese Taipei, however, has started on a positive note with both singles and doubles delivering early success.
