China Open: Unnati Hooda Stuns PV Sindhu, Satwik Chirag March to Kwartfines; HS Prannoy crashes from | Badminton News – Times of India

In a decisive moment for the Indian badminton, 17-year-old Unnati Hooda drew a sensational upset by beating two-time Olympic medal winner PV Sindhu to enter the quarter-finals of the China Open Super 1000 in Changzhou on Thursday. For the second time in her career, the teenager from Rohtak was confronted with Sindhu and showed remarkable calmness in a tense three-game struggle, which eventually prevailed 21-16, 19-21, 21-13 in 73 minutes. This is the first quarter -final of Hooda at a super 1000 event. “I didn’t expect me to win today,” Hooda admitted after the game. “I came in thinking that I would give everything, and I’m glad I could win. It was a very heavy match for me.”

Unnati Hooda celebrates its China Open 2025 R16 victory on PV Sindhu (Image Credit – BWF/Badminton photo)

Sindhu, who last lost to an Indian in an international event at the Commonwealth Games Final 2018, acknowledged Hooda’s performance. “It was difficult to control the shuttle. She took the lead in the third game and maintained it. I wish her the very best,” said Sindhu, as quoted by PTI. Hooda, who has super 100 titles with the Odisha Masters 2022 and 2023 Abu Dhabi Masters, will then be confronted with the third seed of Japan and two -time world champion Akane Yamaguchi. In men’s doubles, Satwiksiraj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty went to the quarterfinals with a grim 21-19, 21-19 victory over the eighth placed duo Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana in Indonesia.

Satwiksiraj Rankireddy (L) and Chirag Shetty (R) in action in the China Open 2025 Round of 16 (Image Credit – BWF/Badminton photo)

“It was quite a Topsy-Turvy competition,” said Chirag. “We finally had that breakthrough about 16-all in the first game. In the second we should have been a bit quieter, but we are happy with the victory.”

The Indians came from behind in both competitions and died of 14-16 in the first and 10-14 in the second to close the match in straight matches. In the meantime, HS Prannoy left the tournament in Heren Singles after a loss of 21-18, 15-21, 8-21 for the sixth seed of Chou Ten Chen from the Chinese Taipei in a heavily fought second round collision that lasted 65 minutes.