Malaysia Open 2025: H.S. Prannoy, Malvika Bansod, Satwik/Chirag, Dhruv/Tanisha Progress to Round of 16
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Kuala Lumpur, Jan 8 (NationPress) The top male singles athlete H.S. Prannoy, along with doubles experts Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty, women's singles standout Malvika Bansod, and mixed doubles teams Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto and Sathish Karunakaran/Aadya Variyath have successfully progressed to the Round of 16 at the Malaysia Open 2025, marking the season's initial BWF World Tour Super 1000 event.
However, the tournament also saw some challenges, as promising player Akarshi Kashyap, seasoned women's doubles duo Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto, the World No. 38 pair Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda, and Anupama Upadhyaya faced defeats in their opening matches.
Prannoy triumphed over Canada's Brian Yang in a thrilling three-game match that was postponed from Tuesday due to a leaking stadium roof affecting several games. After winning the first game and trailing 11-9 in the second, he ultimately secured victory with scores of 21-19, 17-21, 21-13 in a challenging one-hour-and-20-minute battle on Wednesday. This match marked Prannoy's return following recovery from the chikungunya virus, which had previously led to his hospitalization.
In addition, the tournament showcased the impressive skills of Indian competitors. Malvika Bansod advanced to the Round of 16 in the Women’s Singles, demonstrating her tenacity by defeating Jin Wei Goh of Malaysia with scores of 21-15, 21-16 in a 45-minute match held on Court 1 at the Stadium Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur.
In the men's doubles, the Asian Games gold medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also claimed victory to secure their place in the Round of 16. The seventh-seeded Indian duo triumphed over Ming Che Lu and Tant Kei Wei from Chinese Taipei in a three-game match, finishing with scores of 21-10, 16-21, 21-5 in just under an hour.
Furthermore, in the mixed doubles category, both pairs Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto and Sathish Karunakaran/Aadya Variyath advanced to the second round, further contributing to India’s achievements in the tournament thus far.
