India’s campaign at the BWF World Championships 2025 narrowed to just one pair on Friday after PV Sindhu and the mixed doubles duo of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto bowed out in the quarterfinals.
Sindhu, a five-time medallist at the Worlds, went down to Indonesia’s Putri Wardani 14-21, 21-13, 16-21 in a tightly contested match.
Earlier in the day, Kapila and Crasto lost 15-21, 13-21 to Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei. With their defeats, men’s doubles stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are now the only Indians left in the tournament.
Sindhu’s quarterfinal contest showcased her trademark fight. She lost the opening game as Wardani controlled the pace with sharp drops and well-angled smashes.
The Indian bounced back in the second, using aggressive net play and attacking clears to take it 21-13. In the decider, Sindhu briefly led 9-8, but Wardani pulled away 14-11 and sealed the win with a flurry of attacking points.
For Kapila and Crasto, the quarterfinal exit came after a historic run. The duo had stunned world No. 5 pair Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong on Thursday to become the first Indian mixed doubles pair in seven years to reach the last eight. Their dream run ended against the experienced Malaysian duo, who controlled the rallies from start to finish.
Thursday had also witnessed Sindhu’s biggest win of the season — she beat world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi of China 21-19, 21-15, extending her unbeaten record against Chinese opponents at the Worlds to 8-0.
All eyes now turn to Satwik and Chirag, the world No. 9 men’s doubles pair, who will play their quarterfinal later today as India’s sole remaining contenders in this edition.
Results:
Women’s Singles QF: PV Sindhu (IND) lost to Putri Wardani (INA) 14-21, 21-13, 16-21
Mixed Doubles QF: Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto (IND) lost to Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei (MAS) 15-21, 13-21
