At the China Open 2025 , Day 3, young Unnati Hooda grabbed the spotlight with a stunning win over PV Sindhu in a thrilling all-Indian women’s singles clash. The teenage star showed great maturity to move into the quarterfinals of the Super 1000 event. In men’s doubles, Satwik-Chirag continued their strong run, winning another tough match to book a place in the last eight. However, in men’s singles, HS Prannoy went down against Taiwan’s Chou Tien Chen, marking the end of India’s challenge in men’s singles.
Unnati Hooda’s Masterclass
The all-Indian women’s singles clash proved to be the most captivating match of the day for Indian badminton fans. Seventeen-year-old Unnati showcased a remarkable maturity and impressive gameplay, defeating double Olympic medallist Sindhu in a thrilling three-game battle. Unnati secured the victory with a scoreline of 21-16, 19-21, 21-13.
Unnati, who impressed in the opening round of China Open, beating Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour, started strongly against the Sindhu and won the first game 21-16. After that Sindhu showed her fighting spirit to win the second game 21-19 and push the match into a decider.
In the final game, Unnati stayed calm and played with great confidence. From the start, she maintained a strong lead and was leading 11-6 before the interval. After that, Sindhu showed a little fightback and narrowed the lead to 13-16 but that wasn’t enough, and Unnati, with five straight points closed the match 21-13.
It was a big win for Unnati and could be a turning point in Indian women’s badminton, as this is the first time in the last seven years that an Indian women’s singles shuttler has defeated Sindhu at the International stage.
Up next, she will face Akane Yamaguchi in the quarterfinals.
Satwik-Chirag continue their dominant run
In men’s doubles, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty showed why they are among the best in the world. The Indian duo defeated Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana in straight games, winning 21-19, 21-19. Their strong and steady performance has taken them into the quarterfinals. Sat-Chi will face the Malaysian duo of Ong/Tuo in the next round.
“We should have started a bit calmer,” Chirag said to BWF media. “Not safer, but with more control. We let them find their rhythm and they played some really good badminton — especially in service and receive. That made us work harder, but we’re happy we could finish strong.”
When asked about the court conditions and whether it played any role in the momentum shift, Satwik said: “Both sides were quite similar. It wasn’t about the conditions — we just got a bit passive after winning the first game. Made a few errors and lacked aggression in receiving. That gave them a window, and we had to dig deep to fight back.”
Looking at their form and preparation, the pair is cautiously optimistic. “We’re definitely getting better with each passing day,” Chirag said. “I wouldn’t say we’re at our best yet, but we’re happy with the way things are progressing. We haven’t played too many tournaments in the past year, which is why we’ve added Macau to get more match time ahead of the World Championship.”
However, this is not their final stop before the World Championships. “We’ve entered Macau as well, so that’s coming up next,” Chirag confirmed.
Prannoy’s Campaign Ends
India’s journey in the men’s singles category came to an end with HS Prannoy’s defeat. Fresh off a remarkable comeback victory in the Round of 32 match against Japan’s Koki Watanabe, Prannoy faced Taiwan”s sixth seed Chou Tien Chen. Despite winning the first game 21-18, Prannoy couldn’t maintain his momentum against the world No. 6. He eventually fell 15-21, 8-21 in the subsequent games.
After the match Prannoy reflected on his performance. “I think the second game was probably the crucial one. I started well, but in the third game, I was finding it tough. Suddenly, I wasn’t getting the back length right, and the net game got really tight. Chou Tien Chen started pushing hard from the net and put me under pressure, so credit to him for that.”
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