Bangkok, May 15 (IANS) India’s campaign at the Thailand Open 2025 came to a disappointing end on Thursday, as all remaining shuttlers, including top women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, bowed out in the second round of the BWF Super 500 tournament at Bangkok’s Nimibutr Stadium.
Seeded third and ranked 10th in the world, Treesa and Gayatri were expected to spearhead India’s challenge in the absence of top singles stars. But despite a fighting start, the duo lost 20-22, 14-21 to Japan’s Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara in a 53-minute contest.
The Indian pair pushed the first game to the wire, showing glimpses of their quality, but failed to convert crucial points. The Japanese pair, buoyed by their narrow win, asserted complete control in the second game to knock out the Indian contenders.
With their exit, India’s campaign came to a grinding halt as the remaining four singles players also suffered defeats earlier in the day. In the women’s singles category, India’s hopes were dashed by a trio of formidable Thai opponents. Rising star Unnati Hooda, ranked 45th in the world, was outclassed 21-14, 21-11 by top seed and world No. 6 Pornpawee Chochuwong.
Malvika Bansod, currently world No. 23, couldn’t get past Thailand’s former world champion Ratchanok Intanon. The seventh-seeded Thai shuttler used her experience and court craft to secure a 21-12, 21-16 win. Aakarshi Kashyap also met a similar fate, going down 21-9, 21-14 to fourth seed Supanida Katethong, who never let the Indian settle into any rhythm.
On the men’s side, Tharun Mannepalli was the only Indian to reach the second round but faced an uphill task against world No. 3 Anders Antonsen of Denmark. The second-seeded Dane proved too strong for the Indian youngster, easing to a 21-14, 21-16 win. Earlier, Lakshya Sen and Priyanshu Rajawat had failed to progress past their first-round matches, extending India’s lean patch in major BWF events.
This string of early exits highlights the ongoing struggles of Indian badminton at the elite level, especially with top names like PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy either missing or out of form. The Thailand Open was seen as a potential platform for upcoming talent to step up, but the performances failed to meet expectations.
–IANS
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