While India’s men’s singles contingent shone on opening day at the Hong Kong Open 2025, it was a contrasting story for PV Sindhu and the mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila–Tanisha Crasto, both of whom suffered first-round exits.
The results underline the challenges India continues to face in women’s singles depth and mixed doubles progression, despite flashes of promise. Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu saw her campaign end prematurely with a 21-15, 16-21, 19-21 loss to Denmark’s Line Christophersen. Sindhu started brightly, controlling the first game with her trademark attacking play. Crisp smashes and dominating rallies allowed her to close it out 21-15. However, the tide turned in the second as Christophersen raised her defense, forcing Sindhu into longer rallies.
Unforced errors crept into the Indian’s game, and she conceded the game 16-21. The decider was a nerve-wracking affair. Sindhu fought hard, keeping the scores close and even holding the lead at 18-17. But Christophersen held her nerve better in the closing stages, capitalizing on Sindhu’s hesitations to seal the match 21-19.
For Sindhu, this defeat extends a worrying trend of early exits at Super 500 and higher-level events. While she continues to show glimpses of her attacking brilliance, inconsistency in sustaining intensity over three games has become a recurring issue. With the BWF season entering its crucial phase, Sindhu will need to recalibrate her preparations ahead of the year-end tournaments.
Dhruv and Tanisha Outclassed
India’s leading mixed doubles pair, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, also bowed out in the first round, losing 16-21, 11-21 to Taiwan’s Chen Cheng Kuang and Yin Hui Hsu. The Indian duo never quite settled into the match, struggling to cope with the Taiwanese pair’s speed and sharp interceptions at the net. While Dhruv and Tanisha attempted to create openings with their attacking mid-court game, unforced errors at crucial points proved costly.
The straight-games defeat reflects the gap that still exists between India’s top mixed pair and the higher-ranked international combinations. While they have shown flashes of potential in earlier tournaments this season, consistency at the Super 500 level remains elusive.
The bright spot in women’s doubles came from the Panda sisters, who registered a straight-games win over their Hong Kong opponents. Though their campaign is still in its early stages, their victory ensured India retained interest in the doubles draw beyond the opening round. For Indian badminton, nurturing women’s doubles remains a long-term project, but results like these indicate gradual progress.
The opening day at Hong Kong Open 2025 has offered two contrasting narratives for India. On one side, the men’s singles players delivered a perfect start, with four Indians advancing. On the other, the exits of Sindhu and Dhruv/Tanisha highlight the ongoing struggles in women’s singles consistency and mixed doubles depth.
Sindhu’s defeat in particular is a reminder of the challenges of sustaining world-class performance levels year after year. With younger players like An Se Young and Akane Yamaguchi dominating the women’s circuit, Sindhu’s task of returning to the top tier looks steeper than ever. For Dhruv and Tanisha, the focus will be on building chemistry and minimizing unforced errors. As India eyes broader success beyond singles, raising the standard in doubles becomes critical.
The Hong Kong Open 2025 has begun on a mixed note for Indian badminton. The men’s singles stars have set the tone with inspired wins, while Sindhu’s early exit and Dhruv/Tanisha’s defeat serve as sobering reminders of the work ahead. For now, the spotlight shifts to the Round of 16, where Prannoy vs Lakshya promises fireworks, Kiran George faces a stern test against Chou Tien Chen, and Sindhu will regroup for the next challenge.
The opening round may have brought contrasting fortunes, but it has already set up compelling storylines for Indian fans.
