China Open 2025: HS Prannoy advances to second round; Lakshya Sen, Anupama Upadhyay bow out early

HS Prannoy defeated World No. 18 Koki Watanabe in the deciding game.

India endured a mixed start on Day 1 of the China Open 2025 as HS Prannoy pulled off a win to progress into the second round, while Lakshya Sen suffered a disappointing defeat despite holding match point. India’s campaign in women’s singles and mixed doubles also came to an early end, with Anupama Upadhyay and both Indian pairs crashing out in the first round.

World No. 35 Prannoy makes a stunning comeback against Japan’s Koki Watanabe from down 2-11 to win 8-21, 21-16, 23-21 in a tense encounter that lasted nearly an hour.

The Indian shuttler looked out of sorts in the opening game but recovered strongly in the second. Watanabe regained control in the third game, but Prannoy saved five match points to take the lead and register one of the most dramatic wins of the opening day.

While Prannoy advanced, Lakshya Sen’s campaign came to a halt after he lost a hard-fought match to fifth seed and local favourite Li Shi Feng. Sen took the first game 21-14 with aggressive play and held match point in the second.

Also Read: China Open 2025: Updated Schedule, fixtures, results & live streaming details

However, Li kept his nerve to level the match 24-22 and then rode the momentum to close out the decider 21-11. The loss marked another early exit for the former All England finalist, who continues to struggle for consistency in major events.

In women’s singles, 19-year-old Anupama Upadhyay put up a spirited fight in the first game against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Hsiang Ti but failed to maintain the intensity in the remainder of the match. She lost 23-21, 11-21, 10-21 to bow out in the opening round. The Indian showed glimpses of her potential but lacked the tactical depth and match experience to hold off her more seasoned opponent.

India’s mixed doubles campaign started and ended on the very first day. The young pairing of Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh went down 12-21, 17-21 to Indonesia’s Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja.

The Indonesians dominated from the outset, using their superior net control and positional awareness to keep the Indian pair under pressure throughout both games.

Rohan Kapoor and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani provided a glimmer of hope in their opening game against Malaysia’s Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien. The Indian duo saved multiple game points before clinching the first game 27-25. However, they could not maintain the momentum and lost the next two games 16-21, 14-21.

India’s results at China Open 2025 (July 22)

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