India’s campaign at the Orleans Masters 2025 badminton tournament suffered a setback on Thursday, as top singles players HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth were both knocked out in the second round at the Palais des Sports in France.
World No. 30 HS Prannoy found himself in a tight battle against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-yi, ranked 14th in the world. The opening game saw both shuttlers trading points in a closely contested affair, with the score locked at 18-18. However, Lin held his nerve in the crucial moments, clinching the first game 21-18.
The second game was a different story, as Lin dominated proceedings, leaving Prannoy with little room to recover. The Taiwanese player comfortably sealed the match 21-18, 21-9, sending Prannoy out of the tournament.
It was a similar story for former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, whose struggles on the international circuit continued. The 45th-ranked Indian faced Malaysian top seed and world No. 7 Lee Zii Jia, the bronze medallist from the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Lee Zii Jia displayed his trademark attacking style to take the opening game 21-11 with ease. Srikanth showed more fight in the second game, saving an incredible nine match points, but his resistance eventually ended as Lee wrapped up the contest 21-11, 21-17 in just 30 minutes.
While Prannoy and Srikanth’s exits were disappointing, India found hope in the form of 21-year-old Ayush Shetty. The world No. 48, fresh off a stunning upset over former world champion Loh Kean Yew in the opening round, continued his fine run.
Shetty faced Hong Kong China’s Jason Gunawan, ranked 38th, and displayed composure and sharp court coverage to prevail 21-17, 21-17, keeping India’s singles hopes alive at the Super 300 tournament.
In the doubles categories, however, Indian pairs faced early exits. In mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde were forced to withdraw, giving a walkover to Chinese Taipei’s Yang Po-Hsuan and Hu Ling-fang.
The men’s doubles duo of Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Sai Pratheek K also fell in the second round, losing 21-16, 21-13 to the Chinese Taipei combination of Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-Hsuan.
With most of India’s top players eliminated, all eyes will now be on Ayush Shetty as he looks to extend his impressive run and carry India’s hopes forward at the Orleans Masters 2025.
