Dramatic Comebacks and Crushing Upsets Define Day 1 at All England Open 2025

Lakshya Sen staged a formidable comeback to progress to the second round of the All England Open 2025, while HS Prannoy faced an early exit. Malvika Bansod and others also showcased their talent in Birmingham. Mixed doubles saw Karunakaran-Variyath knocked out in their initial match.

Indian badminton sensation and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Lakshya Sen demonstrated exceptional resolve as he progressed to the second round of the All England Open 2025 taking place in Birmingham. Despite dropping the first game to Su Li-yang of Chinese Taipei, Sen rallied to clinch victory with scores of 13-21, 21-17, 21-15, spending just over an hour on the battlefield.

In the gripping match, Sen overcame a deficit in the second game and kept his cool to win six consecutive points, leading to an exhilarating decider. Trailing behind, his opponent struggled to match Sen's pace, with the game tied at 15-15 before Sen's impressive closing streak secured his win against the world-ranked 37th player.

Meanwhile, on a different court, HS Prannoy faced disappointment after losing to France's Toma Junior Popov in straight games, 19-21 and 16-21. Though Prannoy started strong with a 4-0 lead, Popov swiftly recovered and dominated both games to advance. In the women's round of 16, India's Malvika Bansod thrilled audiences with a victory over Singapore's Yeo Jia Min. In mixed doubles, India's Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath exited early after their match against China's Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui.

(With inputs from agencies.)