Indonesian Jojo's China Masters Exit Puts World No. 1 Spot Under Pressure

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian man's single shuttler Jonatan Christie early exit from the China Masters 2026 could put additional pressure on his bid to retain the BWF men’s singles world No. 1 ranking after Hong Kong’s Jason Gunawan defeated him in straight games on Thursday, September 3, 2026.

Jason secured a 21-16, 21-16 victory over Jojo in the round of 16 at Shenzhen Dayun Arena. The result is a setback for the Indonesian, who needs ranking points to maintain his position at the top of the world rankings.

Jojo made an aggressive start in the opening game, collecting points early, Antara reported. However, Jason produced a more composed performance and turned the momentum around to take a 12-9 lead midway through the game.

Jojo fought back to level the score at 15-15, but Jason remained calm and continued to trouble the Indonesian. He eventually took the opening game 21-16.

The second game followed a similar pattern, with Jojo initially matching Jason’s fast-paced play as the score stood at 5-5. Jojo then moved ahead and held an 11-8 advantage at the interval.

However, despite his lead, Jojo struggled to control the tempo. Jason capitalized by scoring six consecutive points to overturn the deficit. Jason maintained his advantage to close out the second game 21-16 and complete his straight-games victory. ***