Singapore Open 2025: Sindhu, Lakshya, Satwik-Chirag, Tanisha-Dhruv reach QF; Prannoy exits
Synopsis
India's best day at the Singapore Open 2025 — four shuttlers or pairs in the quarterfinals, a stunning three-game comeback from Tanisha-Dhruv, and Sindhu looking ominous heading into a clash with world No. 1 An Se-young. The only shadow: Prannoy throwing away a 14-11 lead in the decider against home favourite Loh Kean Yew.
Key Takeaways
PV Sindhu crushed Japan's Riko Gunji 21-9, 21-12 in 37 minutes to reach the Singapore Open quarterfinals.
Sindhu faces world No.
1 and Olympic champion An Se-young next, with zero wins in eight prior meetings.
Lakshya Sen advanced after Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn retired after just two points .
Satwik-Chirag beat Chinese Taipei 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 , extending their H2H record against the pair to 7-0 .
Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila recovered from losing the first game 8-21 to win 21-17, 21-16 .
HS Prannoy lost 18-21, 21-16, 15-21 to Singapore's Loh Kean Yew after squandering a 14-11 lead in the decider.
PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, and Tanisha Crasto-Dhruv Kapila all advanced to the quarterfinals of the Singapore Open 2025 on Thursday, 28 May, giving India a strong four-pronged presence in the last eight of the Super 750 event. The day's only setback was HS Prannoy's exit in men's singles.
Sindhu Dominant, Faces World No. 1 Next
PV Sindhu delivered her most commanding performance of the tournament, dismantling Japan's Riko Gunji 21-9, 21-12 in a brisk 37 minutes. The two-time Olympic medallist controlled rally pace from the first shuttle, denying Gunji any foothold across both games. Sindhu had previously knocked out Indonesian fifth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani in an earlier round, underscoring the quality of her resurgence at this event.
Her quarterfinal opponent will be reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1 An Se-young of South Korea. Sindhu has not won a single match in eight previous meetings against the Korean — making this the defining test of how far her comeback has truly come.
Lakshya Advances After Vitidsarn Retirement
Lakshya Sen progressed to the quarterfinals under unusual circumstances. Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn — the Paris Olympic silver medallist — was forced to retire after just two points had been played, handing Lakshya a walkover. The Indian will next face Japan's Koki Watanabe for a place in the semi-finals.
Satwik-Chirag Grind Out Three-Game Win
Fourth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were pushed to the limit before beating Chinese Taipei's Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan 21-15, 11-21, 21-18. The Indians looked authoritative in the opener but lost the plot entirely in the second game as the Taiwanese pair seized the tempo and forced a decider.
Satwik and Chirag steadied themselves at the critical junctures of the third game to seal the match, extending their unbeaten head-to-head record against this pair to 7-0. Awaiting them in the quarterfinals are Malaysia's Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing — the same duo who eliminated the Indians at the All England Open earlier this season, setting up a rematch with a point to prove.
Tanisha-Dhruv Pull Off Stunning Mixed Doubles Comeback
The most dramatic recovery of the day belonged to Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila in mixed doubles. The Indian pair were routed in the first game against Japan's Maya Taguchi and Yuta Watanabe, losing 8-21 in just over 10 minutes. What followed was a complete transformation: tighter defence, sharper net attacks, and sustained pressure wore the Japanese pair down as Tanisha and Dhruv claimed the next two games 21-17, 21-16 to complete a memorable turnaround.
The victory comes at a timely moment for the pair after a difficult recent run. Their quarterfinal assignment, however, is formidable — Malaysian third seeds Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei stand between them and a semi-final berth.
Prannoy Exits After Squandering Decisive Lead
HS Prannoy bowed out in a 61-minute three-game thriller against Singapore's former world champion Loh Kean Yew, losing 18-21, 21-16, 15-21. Prannoy had led 11-7 in the first game and appeared in control at 14-11 in the decider before a sudden flurry of unforced net errors allowed Loh to reel off 10 of the next 11 points and seal victory on his first match point, buoyed by the home crowd's energy.
Despite the loss, India's overall day at the Singapore Open was one of their strongest of the tournament, with all four remaining combinations securing quarterfinal spots. The results set up a high-stakes Friday for Indian badminton fans.
Point of View
But the An Se-young wall remains unscaled in eight attempts; Thursday's 37-minute demolition of Gunji, while impressive, will count for nothing if the same passive mid-court game reappears against the Korean. Satwik-Chirag's wobble in the second game against a lower-ranked Taiwanese pair is the kind of inconsistency that gets punished at the business end of big draws, and their Aaron Tai rematch — after the All England loss — is a genuine banana skin. Prannoy's collapse from 14-11 up in the third game is the more telling story: a player of his calibre surrendering 10 of 11 points to net errors, on the biggest stage, in front of a hostile crowd, points to a mental fragility that statistical recovery cannot paper over.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are India's quarterfinal entries at the Singapore Open 2025?
India have four quarterfinal entries at the Singapore Open 2025: PV Sindhu in women's singles, Lakshya Sen in men's singles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in men's doubles, and Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila in mixed doubles. All four advanced on 28 May.
Who does PV Sindhu face in the Singapore Open quarterfinals?
PV Sindhu will face South Korea's An Se-young, the reigning Olympic champion and current world No. 1, in the quarterfinals. Sindhu has not won any of their eight previous meetings.
Why did Lakshya Sen's second-round match end so quickly?
Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the Paris Olympic silver medallist, was forced to retire after just two points had been played, handing Lakshya Sen a walkover into the quarterfinals. No official reason for the retirement was immediately disclosed.
How did Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila come back to win?
Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila lost the first game 8-21 in just over 10 minutes against Japan's Maya Taguchi and Yuta Watanabe. They reversed the deficit by tightening their defence and attacking the net more aggressively, winning the next two games 21-17, 21-16.
Why did HS Prannoy lose to Loh Kean Yew at the Singapore Open?
HS Prannoy lost 18-21, 21-16, 15-21 to Singapore's former world champion Loh Kean Yew in a 61-minute match. Prannoy held a 14-11 lead in the deciding game but a sudden run of unforced net errors allowed Loh to win 10 of the next 11 points and close out the match on his first match point.
