India’s campaign at the German Open 2025 badminton tournament saw contrasting fortunes on Day 3, with some shuttlers progressing to the next round while others bowed out following tough battles at the Westenergie Sporthalle in Mülheim an der Ruhr.
In the men’s singles draw, Priyanshu Rajawat’s journey came to an early end after he fell to France’s Toma Junior Popov in a hard-fought three-game contest.
Rajawat, currently ranked World No. 37, started strongly by claiming the opening game 21-16. However, the 18th-ranked Popov responded with increased intensity, clinching the second game 21-18 before completely dominating the decider 21-4 to seal the match.
Kiran George, ranked 38th in the world, also made his exit after a straight-games defeat to seventh seed Wang Zhengxing of China. Despite showing resilience in the opening game, George went down 21-18, 21-13.
There was better news for India in the men’s singles, as World No. 59 Tharun Mannepalli kept India’s hopes alive with a gritty three-game victory over Canada’s Brian Yang. Mannepalli secured his place in the next round with a 21-14, 15-21, 21-17 win, showcasing composure and stamina in the decider.
The women’s singles event saw encouraging results for India, with both Rakshitha Ramraj and Unnati Hooda advancing to the quarter-finals. Rakshitha breezed past Lo Sin Yan of Hong Kong China 21-17, 21-11, while Unnati overcame Japan’s Asuka Takahashi 21-13, 21-19 in a closely-fought second game.
However, Aakarshi Kashyap’s run came to an end at the hands of Vietnam’s sixth seed Nguyễn Thùy Linh, who proved too strong with a 21-14, 21-17 victory.
In the women’s doubles, India’s Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra struggled against China’s Keng Shuliang and Li Hua Zhou, suffering a 21-9, 21-4 defeat.
India’s mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Olympian Tanisha Crasto provided a bright spot, storming into the quarter-finals with a confident 21-10, 21-19 victory over Germany’s Jones Ralfy Jansen and Thuc Phuong Nguyen. The eighth-seeded duo needed just 32 minutes to wrap up the match, maintaining their strong form.
Meanwhile, in men’s doubles, the Danish pair of Rasmus Kjær and Frederik Søgaard defeated India’s Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Sai Pratheek K in a come-from-behind win, ending 19-21, 21-14, 21-14.
With some promising results in both singles and doubles, Indian hopes remain alive at the German Open 2025, though the road ahead will demand consistent performances from the remaining contenders.
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