India’s men’s singles campaign in the Malaysia Open 2025 concluded on Thursday after HS Prannoy went down fighting in the pre-quarterfinals. The bronze medalist from the World Championship was defeated by the higher-ranked Li Shi Feng of China in the Round of 16 at the esteemed Super 1000 tournament.
HS Prannoy displayed a commendable fight in the encounter that spanned an hour and 22 minutes in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Prannoy was overwhelmed in the first game, but he recovered to win the second game before narrowly losing the deciding match, finishing 8-21, 21-15, 21-23.
“Disappointed for losing out on an opportunity to go deeper in this tournament, but feels good to be back playing at this level again,” Prannoy said in a post on X after the loss.
Prannoy appeared to be in good form at the Malaysia Open, marking his first tournament since the Paris Olympics. The Indian player, who was struggling with health issues during the Games, took a prolonged hiatus, skipping the latter part of the 2024 season. Prannoy is set to be a prominent local figure in the India Open Super 750 tournament, beginning January 14 in New Delhi.
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In the Malaysia Open, India’s top men’s singles player, Lakshya Sen, faced an unexpected first-round elimination. Lakshya was defeated by the lower-ranked Yu Jen Chi of Taiwan in straight sets — 14-21, 7-21. For Lakshya, the season began in a disastrous manner, but the ex-All England finalist aims to recover and deliver a powerful performance in New Delhi next week.
