Hong Kong Open: Satwik-Chirag, Lakshya advance to quarterfinals

India enjoyed a strong day at the Hong Kong Open Super 500 on Thursday, with Lakshya Sen breaking a six-month drought by reaching his first BWF World Tour men’s singles quarterfinal since March, while Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also booked their place in the last eight.
Lakshya, ranked 20th, overcame fellow Indian HS Prannoy 15-21, 21-18, 21-10 in a spirited comeback. The 23-year-old, who finished fourth at the Paris Olympics, had endured a tough run of injuries and inconsistent form this season, with his last notable performances being semifinal finishes at the All England Super 1000 and Macau Open Super 300.
He will now face either Japan’s Kodai Naraoka or compatriot Ayush Shetty in the quarterfinals.
Prannoy started brightly, taking the opening game with ease and building an early lead in the second. But Lakshya responded with sharper attacks, levelling the match after a tense finish. In the decider, Prannoy’s unforced errors mounted, allowing Lakshya to pull away from 9-13 to close out the contest in commanding style.
Meanwhile, men’s doubles stars Satwik and Chirag continued their momentum from the World Championships, where they secured their second career bronze in Paris. The world No. 9 duo had to work hard after dropping the first game to Thailand’s Chaloempon Sukphun and Nanthakarn Teeraratsakul.
The Indians regrouped in the second, seizing control after the mid-game interval before running away with the decider. A blistering 7-2 start in the third game sealed their dominance as the Thai pair struggled to keep pace.
The Indian pair won the clash 18-21, 21-15, 21-11, which lasted over an hour and will next take on Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap in the quarterfinal as they aim to extend their impressive run.
Ayush stuns Naraoka
Rising Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty caused a major upset at the Hong Kong Open Super 500 badminton tournament on Thursday, ousting 2023 World Championships silver medallist Kodai Naraoka of Japan in a hard-fought three-game contest to storm into the men’s singles quarterfinals.
The 20-year-old from Karnataka, who clinched the US Open Super 300 title in June, showcased his aggressive style and superior court coverage to outplay the former world No. 2 Japanese shuttler 21-19, 12-21, 21-14 in a 72-minute thriller.
Ayush will face Lakshya Sen, his compatriot and companion at Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, in the quarterfinals.