Ayush Shetty will now face Lakshya Sen in the Quarterfinals of Hong Kong Open 2025.

India enjoyed a successful day in the pre-quarters of the Hong Kong Open 2025 with big wins across categories, keeping multiple medal hopes alive as the tournament entered the quarter-final stage.

The story of the day came from young Ayush Shetty, who produced a career-best performance to knock out Japan’s former World No. 2 Kodai Naraoka 21-19, 12-21, 21-14 in a thrilling Round of 16 encounter.

Naraoka had entered the match high on confidence after eliminating Viktor Axelsen, but Ayush showed remarkable composure to close out the decider and book his spot in the quarterfinals. He will now face compatriot Lakshya Sen in an all-Indian clash.

Lakshya advanced after a hard-fought battle against HS Prannoy. The former world championships medallist took the opener 21-15, but Lakshya responded brilliantly to turn the tide with a 21-18, 21-10 comeback. With both Ayush and Lakshya progressing, India is assured of at least one semifinalist in men’s singles.

However, it was disappointment for Kiran George, who ran into third seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. The experienced shuttler was in complete control, outclassing George 21-6, 21-12 to seal his place in the quarterfinals.

In men’s doubles, the star duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty displayed grit to overcome Thailand’s Sukphun/Teeraratsakul in a three-game contest. After losing the first 21-18, the eighth-seeded Indians came back strong in the second 15-21 and regained full control in the decider to close it 21-11.

The victory sets up a quarterfinal clash against Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Yap Roy King, who also progressed earlier today.

It was, however, the end of the road for the Panda sisters. Rutuparna and Swetaparna Panda, who went down against fifth seeds Li Yi Jing and Luo Xue Mei of China. The Indian pair fought valiantly but could not match the pace and consistency of their opponents, losing 13-21, 7-21.

With Ayush, Lakshya, and Satwik-Chirag advancing, India remains strongly placed at the Hong Kong Coliseum. The upcoming quarterfinals promise high-stakes battles, and the prospect of an all-Indian semifinal run adds extra excitement to the nation’s campaign.

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