Hong Kong : Indian shuttlers stamped their authority at the Hong Kong Open 2025, as Lakshya Sen, the dynamic doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, and rising star Ayush Shetty all stormed into the quarterfinals on Thursday.
In a thrilling all-Indian men’s singles clash, Lakshya Sen overturned a first-game deficit to defeat HS Prannoy 15-21, 21-18, 21-10, asserting his dominance with a strong comeback on center court. “It was a test of patience and stamina. Prannoy gave me a tough fight but I stayed focused,” said Lakshya.
The seasoned duo of Satwik-Chirag, fresh off their World Championships bronze medal, once again proved their mettle by battling past Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teerarasakul in three games 18-21, 21-15, 21-11. Their consistent performance underscores their position as India’s top men’s doubles pair.
The biggest upset of the day came from young Ayush Shetty, who stunned world number 9 Kodai Naraoka in a nail-biting encounter 21-19, 12-21, 21-14. Ayush’s victory over the fifth seed was a statement of intent from the emerging talent. “Beating Naraoka, who had earlier ousted Viktor Axelsen, was surreal. I gave it my all and it paid off,” Ayush said.
The quarterfinals set the stage for another exciting chapter as Lakshya Sen will face Ayush Shetty in an all-Indian singles showdown, promising high drama for badminton fans.
With a prize money pool of USD 500,000 and top players battling at Hong Kong Coliseum, Thursday’s action underlined India’s rising badminton prowess on the global stage.
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