India’s challenge at the Korea Open 2025 came to an end in the first round as none of the country’s badminton players registered a win in Suwon on Wednesday.
HS Prannoy’s injury troubles resurfaced as the former world No. 6 retired midway through his men’s singles opener against Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo.
Prannoy, now ranked 33rd, was trailing 16-8 in the first game when he pulled out in visible discomfort. Since his peak in 2023, Prannoy has struggled to find consistency, with recurring injuries and illnesses halting his progress.
After taking an indefinite break post the Paris 2024 Olympics to recover from the after-effects of chikungunya, the 33-year-old Prannoy has endured a lean season – exiting in the first round seven times and reaching six round-of-16s on the 2025 BWF World Tour.
Ayush Shetty, India’s lone title winner on the 2025 circuit with his US Open Super 300 triumph in June, fell 21-18, 21-18 to Chinese Taipei’s Su Li-yang. Ranked 27th, Shetty led in both games but was unable to sustain the pressure against the world No. 38.
Kiran George pushed Singapore’s fifth seed and former world champion Loh Kean Yew to three games but eventually went down 21-14, 20-22, 21-14.
Meanwhile, Anupama Upadhyaya, India’s only challenge in the women’s singles in the absence of PV Sindhu, fell to fourth seed and world championships bronze medallist Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia, going down 21-16, 21-15.
India’s only mixed doubles pair of Mohit Jaglan and Lakshita Jaglan bowed out in the first round, losing 21-7, 21-14 to Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara.
Earlier in the qualifying rounds on Tuesday, Tharun Mannepalli and Meiraba Luwang Maisnam could not progress in men’s singles.
Paris 2024 men’s singles semi-finalist Lakshya Sen and Asian Games men’s doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty skipped the Super 500 event.