India's hopes at the Hong Kong Open 2025 remain vibrant as Lakshya Sen and the dynamic duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have stormed into the semi-finals of their respective categories.
Lakshya Sen showcased his mettle in an all-Indian quarterfinal clash against Ayush Shetty, prevailing in a three-set thriller with a score of 21-16, 17-21, 21-13. The match, lasting 66 minutes, saw both players pushing each other to their limits. Sen displayed better net play, awareness, and intensity, securing his spot in the semi-finals. Earlier in the tournament, Sen had also defeated another compatriot, H.S. Prannoy, in a hard-fought match. Sen is the only Indian shuttler left in the men's singles. In the semi-final, Lakshya Sen will face the winner of the match between Chou Tein Chen and Alwi Farhan. This marks the second time this year that Sen has reached the semi-finals of a badminton tournament, the first being at the Macau Open Super 300.
Meanwhile, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the top-ranked men's doubles pair from India, also secured their place in the semi-finals after a challenging three-game victory over Malaysia's Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap. The Indian duo, seeded eighth, displayed aggressive front-court play to win the match 21-14, 20-22, 21-16. Satwik and Chirag demonstrated their resilience and coordination, overcoming a strong challenge from the Malaysian pair. The match lasted slightly over an hour. The pair had to battle back from a game down in the pre-quarterfinals to defeat Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul. Satwik and Chirag will now face Chen Cheng Kuan and Lin Bing-Wei of Chinese Taipei in the semi-finals. This signifies their sixth semi-final appearance on the BWF World Tour this season. They are chasing their first BWF World Tour title of the year.
The performance of Lakshya Sen and Satwik-Chirag has not only kept India's hopes alive but also demonstrated the depth of talent in Indian badminton. Their journey to the semi-finals has been a testament to their skill, determination, and ability to perform under pressure. With renewed confidence from their World Championships performance and strong showing in Hong Kong, Satwik and Chirag appear to be firmly back on track.
