Taipei: India’s HS Prannoy was knocked out in the second round of the Taipei Open 2026 on Thursday, while four Indian shuttlers, including Unnati Hooda, advanced to the quarter-finals of the BWF Super 300 tournament.
Prannoy, ranked world No. 38, lost 21-9, 21-19 to Hong Kong China’s Jason Gunawan in 39 minutes. The Indian badminton player struggled to find his rhythm in the opening game and could not force a decider despite putting up a stronger fight in the second.
HS Prannoy’s Taipei Open Campaign Ends in Second Round
Gunawan controlled the opening game and secured it 21-9. Prannoy improved his performance in the second game, but the Hong Kong China shuttler held his nerve to close out the match 21-19.
The result extends a difficult 2026 BWF World Tour campaign for Prannoy. According to Olympics.com, he has not progressed beyond the second round in any tournament this year.
Gunawan had already defeated India’s Mithun Manjunath in the opening round. His win over Prannoy means he has now eliminated two Indian players in consecutive rounds at the Taipei Open.
Prannoy Also Exited China Open Earlier This Month
Prannoy’s Taipei Open exit follows another early departure at the China Open 2026 in Changzhou, China, earlier this month.
At the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, the Indian shuttler lost his opening-round match 21-10, 21-14 to Malaysia’s world No. 27 Leong Jun Hao.
Unnati Hooda Advances to Women’s Singles Quarter-Finals
Unnati Hooda led India’s successful results in the women’s singles draw. She defeated compatriot Tanya Hemanth 21-19, 21-12 to secure her place in the quarter-finals.
Unnati’s win was one of three Indian victories in the women’s singles draw on Thursday, with Tanvi Sharma and eighth seed Devika Sihag also progressing to the last eight.
Tanvi Sharma, Devika Sihag Also Reach Last Eight
Tanvi Sharma continued her run at the Taipei Open with a 21-17, 22-20 victory over Indonesia’s Thalita Wiryawan.
Devika Sihag, the eighth seed, also produced a straight-games win, defeating Indonesia’s Ni Kadek Dhinda Pratiwi 21-16, 21-15.
Devika’s victory has set up an all-Indian quarter-final against Unnati Hooda. The match will guarantee an Indian representative in the women’s singles semi-final.
Kiran George Keeps Men’s Singles Hopes Alive
In men’s singles, Kiran George advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating compatriot Tharun Mannepalli 21-15, 21-16 in an all-Indian second-round contest.
George’s victory means India will still have representation in the men’s singles quarter-finals despite Prannoy’s exit.
Anmol Kharb Loses to Second Seed Lin Hsiang-ti
Anmol Kharb narrowly missed out on a place in the quarter-finals after losing to home favourite and second seed Lin Hsiang-ti.
Lin won the opening game 21-10 before Kharb pushed the second game much closer. The Taiwanese player eventually prevailed 22-20 to complete the victory.
India’s Doubles Campaign Already Over
India’s doubles challenge at the Taipei Open had already ended on Wednesday. Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu suffered an opening-round defeat, bringing India’s campaign in the doubles draw to an early end.
With Prannoy out of the tournament, India’s quarter-final representation will come through Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma, Devika Sihag and Kiran George. Unnati and Devika will face each other in the women’s singles quarter-finals, while George will carry India’s hopes in men’s singles.
Source: Olympics.com
