The Orleans Masters 2025 kicked off with thrilling moments for Indian badminton athletes! On Wednesday, HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth successfully advanced to the second round after winning their opening matches, while other players encountered challenging obstacles.
With fierce competition, surprising results, and strong showings, India’s shuttlers are eager to leave their mark in this renowned tournament. Let’s explore the highlights from the day!
| Category | Player(s) | Opponent | Result |
| Men’s Singles | HS Prannoy | TW Wang (Chinese Taipei) | Won |
| Men’s Singles | Kidambi Srikanth | Koo Takahashi (Japan) | Won |
| Men’s Singles | Ayush Shetty | Loh Kean Yew (Singapore, 3rd Seed) | Won |
| Men’s Singles | Kiran George | J Teh (Singapore) | Lost |
| Men’s Singles | Priyanshu Rajawat | Alex Lanier (France, 4th Seed) | Lost |
| Men’s Singles | Sankar Subramanian (Qualifier) | Kenta Nishimoto (Japan, 5th Seed) | Lost |
| Men’s Singles | Sathish Kumar Karunakaran | Nhat Nguyen (Ireland) | Lost |
| Women’s Singles | Malvika Bansod | Riko Gunji (Japan) | Walkover |
| Women’s Singles | Unnati Hooda | An Se Young (South Korea) | Lost |
| Mixed Doubles | Rohan Kapoor / Ruthvika S. Gadde | Walkover | Won |
| Mixed Doubles | Rohan Kapoor / Ruthvika S. Gadde | Yang Po-Hsuan / Hu Ling-fang (TPE) | Lost |
| Men’s Doubles | Pruthvi Roy / Sai Pratheek K | Lee Jhe-huei / Yang Po-Hsuan (TPE) | Lost |
Indian Stars Shine: Prannoy, Srikanth, and Shetty Advance
HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, and Ayush Shetty from India performed strongly on March 5 to advance to the second round of the Orleans Masters 2025 in France.
Prannoy, a bronze medalist at the Asian Games, competed in a problematic men’s singles match against TW Wang from Chinese Taipei. He won with scores of 21-11, 20-22, and 21-9 after a match that lasted one hour and nine minutes.
Srikanth, a former world championship medallist, qualified for the main draw and had a great start. He defeated Japan’s Koo Takahashi with scores of 21-19 and 21-14 in only 40 minutes.
Youngster Ayush Shetty caught the spotlight after his impressive win over Loh Kean Yew, the former world champion and third seed from Singapore, finishing with scores of 21-17 and 21-9.
SUGGESTED READ: Dhruv and Tanisha Knocked Out in German Open Semis
Early Exits: Mixed Fortunes for Indian Shuttlers
HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, and Ayush Shetty successfully advanced to the second round of the Orleans Masters 2025 with solid victories, but many Indian players had to leave the tournament early.
Prannoy won a tough match against TW Wang in three games, and Srikanth smoothly defeated Japan’s Koo Takahashi. Shetty shocked fans by beating the third seed, Loh Kean Yew.
Other Indian players exited the tournament early. Kiran George lost to J Teh from Singapore in a three-game match, with scores of 15-21, 21-16, and 21-10.
The fourth seed from France defeated Priyanshu Rajawat and Alex Lanier with scores of 17-21 and 7-21. Qualifier Sankar Subramanian fell to Japan’s fifth seed, Kenta Nishimoto, with scores of 13-21 and 8-21. Sathish Kumar Karunakaran was eliminated by Nhat Nguyen from Ireland, with scores of 18-21 and 11-21.
In women’s singles, Malvika Bansod withdrew due to injury, giving a walkover to Japan’s Riko Gunji. Unnati Hooda also exited in the round of 32, losing 9-21, 15-21 to South Korea’s An Se Young.
Doubles Results
Indian doubles players Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, along with Pruthvi Roy and Sai Pratheek K, performed well at the Orleans Masters 2025 but encountered various challenges on their path to the second round.
Kapoor and Gadde, who played in mixed doubles, moved on to the second round after winning their first match by walkover. Sadly, they were eliminated after a hard-fought game against the team from Chinese Taipei, Yang Po-Hsuan and Hu Ling-fang, who advanced to the next round.
In the second men’s doubles, Roy and Pratheek also played a hard-fought match against Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei. They tried their level best but lost in two successive games, 21-16 and 21-13, and hence were eliminated from the tournament. Both teams played with excellent spirit, but they could not proceed any further.
YOU MIGHT READ: Badminton Asia 2025: India Through to Quarters Despite Loss
