Heartbreak for HS Prannoy: First-Round Exit at Korea Open 2026
HS Prannoy suffers a first-round defeat to Yoo Tae-bin at the Korea Open 2026. Read about India's other results in Yeosu.
India's badminton veteran HS Prannoy faced a disappointing start to his campaign at the Korea Open 2026, crashing out in the first round of the men's singles event. In a high-stakes clash at the Jinnam Stadium in Yeosu on Wednesday, Prannoy fell to South Korea's home favorite, Yoo Tae-bin, in the round of 32.
A Battle of Nerves in Yeosu
The contest, which lasted 47 minutes, saw Prannoy struggle to maintain control against the Asian Games bronze medallist. The World Championships bronze medallist fought hard in the opening game, recovering from a 12-7 deficit to establish a 19-16 lead. However, Yoo Tae-bin displayed remarkable resilience, fighting back to level the score at 19-19 before ultimately clinching the first game 23-21.
The momentum shifted decisively in the second game. Yoo surged ahead early, building an 8-3 lead that Prannoy could not overcome. The South Korean sealed the victory with a 21-15 win, ending Prannoy's journey in the BWF Super 500 tournament.
A Tough Run for the Former World No. 6
This defeat is particularly concerning for Prannoy, as it marks his third consecutive first-round exit on the BWF World Tour this year, following similar disappointments at the Arctic Open and Hylo Open. The current world No. 38 has faced a significant struggle with consistency this season, managing to progress beyond the second round only once in 15 BWF tournaments. His solitary bright spot came in September at the Vietnam Open, where he reached the semi-finals of the BWF Super 100 event.
Prannoy was India's lone hope in the men's singles main draw after the recently crowned Hylo Open champion, Lakshya Sen, withdrew from the competition.
Silver Linings in Women's Singles
While the men's singles result was grim, India found success in the women's category. Anmol Kharb secured a place in the second round after a hard-fought victory over Canada's Rachel Chan, winning 21-19, 21-18 in 38 minutes. Fresh off a semi-final run at the Hylo Open, Anmol now faces a daunting challenge against Japan's second seed, Akane Yamaguchi, in the round of 16.
Similarly, Tanvi Sharma advanced to the second round. In a grueling match lasting one hour and 12 minutes, the Taipei Open title winner defeated Japan's Manami Suizu 21-16, 12-21, 21-17. Tanvi will now await the winner of the match between China's Xu Wenjing and Japan's fifth seed Hina Akechi.
Mixed Results in Doubles
The doubles events brought mixed fortunes for the Indian contingent:
- Mixed Doubles: The pair of Dhruv Rawat and Maneesha K suffered a heartbreaking loss to China's seventh-seeded duo, Zhu Yi Jun and Li Qian. After a seesaw battle lasting 58 minutes, the Indians lost 22-20, 12-21, 22-24.
- Women's Doubles: Ritika Thaker and Sonali Singh withdrew from their first-round clash against Australia's Laudya Chelsea Griselda and Nozomi Shimizu.
- Men's Doubles: The duo of Arjun Reddy Pochana and Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu were unable to make it past the qualification round.
The Korea Open 2026 continues in Yeosu and is scheduled to conclude this Sunday.