Malaysia Masters 2025: Srikanth reaches Quarters; Prannoy bows out

Kidambi Srikanth advanced to the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters 2025, while fellow Indian shuttlers HS Prannoy, Ayush Shetty, and Sathish Karunakaran bowed out in the Round of 16 on Thursday.

Srikanth, looking to rediscover form after a rough patch, prevailed over world No. 31 Nhat Nguyen of Ireland in a hard-fought 59-minute match, clinching a 23-21, 21-17 win. The former world No. 1 will next face France’s Toma Junior Popov, who defeated Ayush Shetty 21-13, 21-17 in his second-round match.

HS Prannoy, one of India’s top-ranked men’s singles players, suffered a straight-games defeat at the hands of Japan’s Yushi Tanaka, going down 9-21, 18-21. Prannoy’s early exit was a major setback for India’s medal hopes in men’s singles.

Sathish Karunakaran also exited the tournament, falling to Christo Popov of France 14-21, 16-21, ending a disappointing day for India’s rising stars.

In mixed doubles, however, there was positive news. Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila kept India in contention by advancing to the quarterfinals with a 21-17, 18-21, 21-15 win over France’s Lea Palermo and Julien Maio. They will next meet China’s Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin.

Despite the setbacks, Srikanth’s progress and the mixed doubles victory provide some momentum for India heading into the quarterfinals stage of the BWF Super 500 event.