Prannoy and George scored stunning straight-game wins over higher-ranked opponents in dominant, fast-paced matches
Hong Kong
Indian shuttlers HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, and Kiran George advanced to the men’s singles pre-quarterfinals at the Hong Kong Open 2025 with strong performances on Wednesday.
Prannoy, ranked 34 in the world, stunned world number 14 Lu Guangzu of China 21-17, 21-14 in a 44-minute contest. George also impressed, defeating Singapore’s higher-ranked Jason Teh 21-16, 21-11 in just 34 minutes. Lakshya Sen faced a tough battle against Wang Tzu-wei but emerged victorious 22-20, 16-21, 21-15 to secure his place in the last-16.
In women’s singles, PV Sindhu suffered a heartbreaking exit, losing 15-21, 21-16, 21-19 to Denmark’s Line Christophersen in the round of 32. This was Sindhu’s first defeat to Christophersen in six meetings. Sindhu started strong, winning the opener, but errors in the second and a tense finish in the decider saw the Dane prevail 21-19 after the pair were locked at 19-all. The loss came as Sindhu was regaining rhythm following early exits in recent tournaments.
Elsewhere, the women’s doubles pair of Rutaparna and Swetaparna Panda fell to Hong Kong’s Oi Ki Vanessa Pang and Sum Yau Wong 17-21, 9-21 in a one-sided match. India also faced disappointment in mixed doubles as Dhruv Kapil and Tanisha Crasto lost 16-21, 11-21 to Chinese Taipei’s Chen Cheng Kuan and Hsu Yin-Hui.
Despite setbacks, the progress of Prannoy, Sen, and George keeps Indian hopes alive in the tournament. Their spirited wins against higher-ranked opponents highlight India’s growing depth in men’s singles, adding excitement for the upcoming rounds.