New Delhi, Jan 16 (UNI) Rekindling her trademark aggressive style, former champion PV Sindhu cruised into the quarterfinals, while rising star Kiran George held his nerve under pressure to secure a straight-game victory at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2025, a HSBC BWF World Tour Super 750 event.
Men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also showcased resilience to overcome a first-game deficit and advance at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall here on Thursday.
Sindhu, playing her second tournament since the Paris Olympics, dominated Japan’s Manami Suizu 21-15, 21-13. Meanwhile, Kiran battled past Frenchman Alex Lanier 22-20, 21-13 in a gripping men’s singles clash.
Satwik and Chirag, the 2022 champions, staged a comeback after losing the opening game to beat Japan’s Kenya Mitsuhashi and Hiroki Okamura 20-22, 21-14, 21-16 in one hour and 11 minutes.
In other highlights, Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu, last year’s runner-up, survived a thrilling decider against France’s Toma Junior Popov, saving a match point to win 14-21, 21-18, 22-20 in a marathon one-hour-16-minute battle.
While Sindhu’s confident display thrilled fans, Kiran George’s spirited fightback was equally commendable. The 24-year-old, a last-minute addition to the main draw, saved six game points in the opening set to turn the match in his favour.
“At 14-20, I focused on one point at a time, without worrying about the score. That mindset helped me secure the game,” Kiran said post-match. He now faces China’s Hong Yang Weng in the next round.
Sindhu, who looked rusty in her opening match against Shuo Yun Sung, expressed satisfaction with her improved movement and attacking play. “I felt my attacks were working well today. Going forward, I need to be prepared as matches will only get tougher,” said Sindhu, who faces Indonesia’s fourth seed Gregoria Mariska Tunjung next.
However, it was a disappointing day for other Indian contenders. Women’s doubles pairs Ashwini Ponnappa-Tanisha Crasto and Rutuparna Panda-Swetaparna Panda, along with mixed doubles combinations Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha and Ashith Surya-Amrutha Pramuthesh, bowed out in the second round.