HS Prannoy Exits Taipei Open as Unnati Hooda Shines in Quarter-Finals

In a challenging outing at the Taipei Open 2026, HS Prannoy was eliminated in the second round by Jason Gunawan, marking a tough year for him on the BWF World Tour. Meanwhile, Unnati Hooda and three other Indian players advanced to the quarter-finals, showcasing strong performances. Hooda defeated Tanya Hemanth, while Tanvi Sharma and Devika Sihag also secured their spots in the next round. Kiran George kept hopes alive in men's singles, but Anmol Kharb fell short against Lin Hsiang-ti. Discover more about the tournament's highlights and upcoming matches.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 30, 2026, 23:49 IST

Prannoy's Early Exit at Taipei Open

Taipei, Taiwan - On July 30, HS Prannoy faced a disappointing second-round elimination at the Taipei Open 2026 badminton tournament. He was defeated by Hong Kong's Jason Gunawan with scores of 21-9, 21-19 in a match that lasted 39 minutes. Prannoy, currently ranked 38th in the world, struggled significantly in the first game and, despite a better performance in the second, could not force a third game. This loss marks a challenging year for Prannoy on the BWF World Tour, as he has yet to advance past the second round in any event this season.

Gunawan, who previously eliminated India's Mithun Manjunath in the first round, has now knocked out two Indian players in consecutive matches.

Earlier this month, Prannoy also faced an early exit at the China Open 2026 in Changzhou, where he lost to Malaysia's world No. 27, Leong Jun Hao, with scores of 21-10, 21-14 in the opening round.

In contrast, Unnati Hooda led a more favorable outcome for India at the Taipei Open, securing her place in the women's singles quarter-finals by defeating fellow Indian Tanya Hemanth with scores of 21-19, 21-12. Tanvi Sharma also showcased her skills, winning against Indonesia's Thalita Wiryawan with scores of 21-17, 22-20, while eighth seed Devika Sihag triumphed over Ni Kadek Dhinda Pratiwi from Indonesia with a score of 21-16, 21-15, advancing her to the quarter-finals.

Devika and Unnati are set to compete against each other in the upcoming quarter-finals.

In the men's singles, Kiran George kept India's hopes alive by defeating Tharun Mannepalli with scores of 21-15, 21-16 in an all-Indian match. However, Anmol Kharb narrowly lost to local favorite and second seed Lin Hsiang-ti, with scores of 21-10, 22-20.

India's doubles campaign at the Taipei Open concluded on Wednesday, as Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu faced an opening-round defeat.