Tharun Mannepalli Stuns World No. 14 Popov to Keep India’s Hopes Alive at Arctic Open 2025

Unseeded Indian shuttler Tharun Mannepalli produced a sensational performance to upset world No. 14 Toma Junior Popov of France and keep India’s men’s singles challenge alive at the Arctic Open 2025 in Finland on Wednesday. The 23-year-old, ranked 46th in the world, staged a dramatic comeback to win 11-21, 21-11, 22-20 in a thrilling encounter that lasted one hour and eight minutes.

After dropping the opening game tamely, Mannepalli found his rhythm in the second, displaying sharp court coverage and precise smashes to level the match. The deciding game turned into a tense battle of nerves, with the Indian trailing 16-20 before saving four match points and reeling off six straight points to complete one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far. The victory marks a significant breakthrough for the young Indian, who will next face world No. 18 Koki Watanabe of Japan in the pre-quarterfinals.

While Mannepalli’s heroics brought cheer to the Indian contingent, it was another disappointing outing for Lakshya Sen, who suffered his 10th first-round exit of the season. The Paris Olympics semifinalist lost 15-21, 17-21 to Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, the world No. 11 and fifth seed, in a 57-minute clash.

Lakshya struggled to find momentum early in the match, trailing 6-11 at the first-game interval. Although he showed signs of recovery in the second, narrowing the gap to 10-11, Naraoka’s superior consistency and tactical precision saw him pull away after the break. The defeat also marked Lakshya’s sixth loss in eight meetings with Naraoka, compounding what has been a difficult season despite a recent runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open.

Elsewhere, it was a day of early exits for Indian shuttlers. Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth withdrew from his opening match against Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke, conceding a walkover. Kiran George retired midway through his contest against Watanabe after trailing 1-4 in the second game, having lost the opener 10-21. Sankar Subramanian bowed out 17-21, 11-21 to France’s Christo Popov, while Ayush Shetty put up a spirited fight before losing 15-21, 16-21 to top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand.

With most of India’s campaign cut short, all eyes will now be on Tharun Mannepalli as he looks to continue his dream run and secure a quarterfinal berth in the Super 500 event.