Indian hopes of a local champion suffered a major blow with all the top favorites exiting in the first round of the India Open Super 750 here on Wednesday, even as Anupama Upadhyaya took top honors in an all-Indian battle by defeating a another trainee of Pullela Gopichand Academy. Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj 21-17, 21-18 in 43 minutes to advance in the tournament.
While Priyanshu Rajawat, HS Prannoy and Malvika Bansod fought three games apiece in their respective matches on a gloomy day for Indian fans, Lakshya Sen failed to offer any semblance of a fight, losing meekly against Chun-Yi Lin of Chinese Taipei. in consecutive games 21-15, 21-10.
Lakshya Sen in action against Lin Chun-yi at the India Open 2025, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi. | Photo credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar/The Hindu
Lakshya Sen in action against Lin Chun-yi at the India Open 2025, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi. | Photo credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar/The Hindu
The results left PV Sindhu and Chirag Shetty-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy as the country’s best hopes to end the title drought in the main event of the Indian badminton calendar.
Malvika came closest to causing an upset against world number 4 Han Yue of China, winning the first match and pushing Yue hard in the second before succumbing to a far superior and experienced opponent 20-22, 21 -16, 21-11. a tiring 66-minute contest.
While both players preferred a touch-and-go game rather than using raw power, Malvika – who lost in back-to-back matches to Yue last week in Malaysia – relied on her soft drops and his precise angles to force the top-ranked Chinese women in. errors, saving two match points to improve from 18-20 to 22-20 in the opening match.
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Despite slow starts that saw her lead 1-7 and 7-14 in the second game, Malvika fought back to take a 16-15 lead before Yue took control of the match, doing the same in the decision to win the match.
Rajawat, meanwhile, showed control over his strokes and play and seemed to go the distance against 2023 World Championships silver medalist Kodai Naraoka, but simply couldn’t keep up with the pace of the Japanese to bow 21-16, 22-20, 21-13. in 82 minutes, one of the longest matches of the competition so far.
Rajawat even saved a match point in the second game to force a decider, but Naraoka simply returned everything the Indian threw at him and used his experience to close the doors for the young Indian.
Priyanshu Rajawat reacts after losing the men’s singles match against Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, during the Indian Open 2025 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. | Photo credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar/The Hindu
Priyanshu Rajawat reacts after losing the men’s singles match against Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, during the Indian Open 2025 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. | Photo credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar/The Hindu
Prannoy, still recovering from the effects of the Chikungunya he suffered last year, was unable to continue his initial momentum, failing against Su Li Yang 16-21, 21-18, 21-12.
On the positive side, Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto beat compatriots Kavya Gupta and Radhika Sharma 21-11, 21-12 while Panda sisters Rutaparna and Swetaparna got the better of Thai combination Phattarin Aiamvareesrisakul and Sarisa Janpeng 7-21 , 21-19, 21-14. In mixed doubles, Ashith Surya and Amruta Pramuthesh beat Tarun Kona and Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli 21-14, 21-15.
Important results (Round 1):
Men’s singles: Loh Kean Yew (Sin) against Chia Hao Lee (Tpe) 21-15, 22-20; Kodai Naroaka (Jpn) against Priyanshu Rajawat 21-16, 20-22, 21-13; Jonathan Christie (Ina) against Wang Tzu Wei (Tpe) 21-18, 21-15; Su Li Yang (Tpe) against HS Prannoy (Ind) 16-21, 21-18, 21-12; Chun-Yi Lin (Tpe) against Lakshya Sen (Ind) 21-15, 21-10; Viktor Axelsen (Den) against Yu Jen Chi (Tpe) 16-21, 21-11, 21-13.
Men’s doubles: Ben Lane/Sean Vendy (Eng) against Chaynit Joshi/Mayank Rana (Ind) 21-8, 21-14; 2-Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang (Chn) against Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi (Mas) 21-12, 19-21, 21-15.
Women’s singles: Pornpawee Chochuwong (Tha) against Aakarshi Kashyap (Ind) 21-17, 21-13; Tomaka Miyazaki (Jpn) against Pornpicha Choeikeewong (Tha) 21-7, 22-24, 21-9; Anupama Upadhyaya (Ind) vs Rakshita Sree SR (Ind) 21-17, 21-18; Han Yue (Chn) against Malvika Bansod (Ind) 20-22, 21-16, 21-11; An Se Young (Kor) with Chiu Pin-Chian (Tpe) 22-20, 21-15; Mia Blichfeldt (Den) against Julie Dawall Jakobsen (Den) 21-9, 21-14.
Women’s doubles: Rutuparna Panda/Swetparna Panda (Ind) against Phattarin Aiamvareesrisakul/Sarisa Janpeng (Tha) 7-21, 21-19, 21-14; Ashwini Ponnappa/Tanisha Crasto (Ind) vs Kavya Gupta/Radhika Sharma (Ind) 21-11, 21-12; Kim Hye Jeong/Kong Hee Yong (Kor) against Mansa Rawat/Gayatri Rawat (Ind) 21-7, 21-3.
Mixed doubles: Goh Soon Huat/Lai Shevon Jemie (Mas) against Rinov Rivaldy/Lisa Ayu Kusumawati (Ina) 21-17, 21-17; Ashith Surya/Amruta Pramuthesh (Ind) vs K Tarun/Sri Priya Krishna Kudaravalli 21-14, 21-15.
