China Open 2025: Unnati Hooda stuns PV Sindhu to enter quarters; Satwik-Chirag also advance

Seventeen-year-old Unnati Hooda knocked out PV Sindhu in the last 16 stage.

Unnati Hooda stunned her senior compatriot and two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu to advance to the quarter-finals of the ongoing BWF China Open 2025. Not only was this the 17-year-old’s first win over Sindhu, but also the former world champion’s first BWF Tour loss to an Indian women’s singles shuttler since 2018.

Hooda, ranked World No. 35, also raced to her first quarter-final appearance in BWF 1000 level events—beating Sindhu in a little over an hour in three games. India’s top-ranked doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also advanced to the last-eight stage but it was curtains for HS Prannoy, who followed Sindhu out of the competition in the round-of-16 round.

Unnati Hooda scripted a stunning upset in three gripping games. She began confidently, using sharp angles and fearless play to take the first game 21-16. Sindhu, showing her experience, made a strong comeback to edge the second game 21-19 and force a decider.

But the youngster regrouped quickly and played with high intensity in the third, dominating the court and keeping Sindhu under constant pressure. Unnati sealed the final game 21-13 to complete the biggest win of her career so far.

Meanwhile, Satwik-Chirag, ranked World No. 12, showed great composure and synergy as they edged past Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana 21-19, 21-19 in straight games. The Indian duo was solid in their shot-making and showed great defensive tenacity to repel a late charge from the Indonesians in both the games.

In men’s singles, HS Prannoy fought hard but eventually went down to World No. 6 Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. Prannoy started on the back foot, losing the opening game 18-21, but bounced back impressively to take the second 21-15.

Also Read: China Open 2025: All you need to know about prize money & points on offer

In the decider, though, it was Chou who upped his level of play, dictating the rallies and taking Prannoy on to the backfoot. The Indian couldn’t make a comeback as Chou ended the match with an emphatic 21-8 finish, breaking Prannoy’s stint in the tournament.

India’s results at China Open 2025 (July 24)

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