Danish badminton player Rasmus Gemke produced some of his best badminton on Wednesday when he defeated World No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
However, he was unable to replicate that performance on Thursday when he faced Frenchman Toma Junior Popov in the second round of the China Open.
Gemke lost 10-21, 19-21, despite leading 18-14 in the second set. This marked another early exit for the Danish World No. 30, who has endured a difficult 2026 season. Toma Junior Popov is ranked 16th in the world.
With Gemke's defeat, there are no Danish men's singles players left in the China Open. Anders Antonsen was eliminated in the first round on Monday following a tight three-set match against China's Weng Hongyang.
The third-seeded mixed doubles pair of Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje fared better. They advanced to the quarter-finals on Thursday with a convincing victory over Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaj.
The China Open is a Super 1000 tournament and is ranked among the four biggest events of the season on the World Tour.