India's star shuttler Lakshya Sen finished runner-up after facing a heartbreaking defeat in the men’s singles final of the Hong Kong Open 2025.
Lakshya Sen misses shot at Hong Kong Open title
Lakshya Sen went down to China's Li Shi Feng in the men's singles final on September 14. The match, which lasted just over 45 minutes, ended with a score of 21-15, 21-12 in favor of the Chinese shuttler. With this victory, China made history by becoming the first country in the open era to achieve a clean sweep of all the events at the tournament.
In the men’s doubles final, India's celebrated duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were defeated by the Chinese pair of Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang. The Indian team started strong, winning the opening game 21-19 after a thrilling comeback late in the set.
However, the Chinese pair fought back, taking the second game 21-14 to force a decider. In the final game, Weikeng and Chang took control and comfortably closed out the match with a 21-17 victory to win the title.
India's badminton doubles team, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, reached their first final since winning the Thailand Open in May 2024. They secured their spot after a swift 38-minute victory against Chinese Taipei's Chen Cheng Kuan and Lin Bing-wei, with a score of 21-17, 21-15.
The final saw them face two-time Chinese sixth seeds Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, a pair they had previously defeated in the last 16 at the World Championships. This time, however, the Chinese duo seemed to have learned from their past mistakes. Despite conceding the opening game, they fought back fiercely to win the second and clinch the decisive third game to secure the title.
Even when trailing by six points in the final set, the Indian pair put up a good fight, attempting to claw their way back to deuce. But their efforts weren't enough, as the Chinese pair held on to their lead to win the game and claim the Hong Kong Open title.