Vietnam Open 2026: Four Indians Reach the Semifinals as Prannoy and Three Women Keep India’s Title Hopes Alive
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The Vietnam Open 2026 has turned into a major tournament for Indian badminton, with four Indian singles players reaching the semifinals in Ho Chi Minh City. Experienced campaigner H.S. Prannoy has reached the men’s singles last four, while India has achieved an even more impressive feat in women’s singles, with Tanvi Sharma, Isharani Baruah and Rakshitha Sree all progressing to the semifinals. With Isharani and Rakshitha now meeting each other, India is guaranteed at least one women’s singles finalist, while Tanvi has another opportunity to fight for an all-Indian final.
Prannoy Leads India’s Men’s Singles Charge
Prannoy, the No.3 seed, produced one of the toughest wins of the tournament in the quarter-finals, defeating compatriot Sanskar Saraswat 28–26, 21–12 in 37 minutes. The opening game was a marathon, with both Indians refusing to give ground before Prannoy finally edged it 28–26. He then took control of the second game to seal his place in the semifinals.
The reward is a major test against top seed Jia Heng Teh of Singapore.
For Prannoy, the semifinal represents another opportunity to demonstrate that his experience remains a major asset on the BWF circuit. The former world No.8 has already negotiated a difficult path in Vietnam, including a three-game battle against Malaysia's Kok Jing Hong before reaching the quarter-finals.
Three Indian Women in the Semifinals
The women's singles draw has produced the biggest Indian story of the Vietnam Open.
Three Indians have reached the last four.
Top seed Tanvi Sharma defeated compatriot Malvika Bansod 21–18, 15–21, 21–14 in a 54-minute quarter-final to book her semifinal place. The victory followed another demanding performance against Thailand's Passa-Orn Phannachet in the Round of 16, where Tanvi survived 26–24, 21–12.
Tanvi will now face Thailand's Sarunrak Vitidsarn for a place in the final.
The other semifinal is guaranteed to feature an Indian because third seed Isharani Baruah will face Rakshitha Sree.
Isharani continued her impressive run by defeating Taiwan's Huang Ching Ping 21–15, 21–18 in the quarter-finals. Rakshitha, meanwhile, defeated fellow Indian Mansi Singh 21–12, 21–10 to complete the all-Indian semifinal.
Rakshitha Turns the Tables on Mansi
One of the most intriguing India-versus-India stories at the Vietnam Open came in the women’s singles quarter-final, where Rakshitha Sree defeated Mansi Singh 21–12, 21–10 to book her place in the semifinals. The victory carried added significance because Mansi had beaten Rakshitha at the Indonesia tournament, giving Rakshitha an opportunity to respond when the two met again in Vietnam. This time, Rakshitha produced a much more controlled and consistent performance.
Tanvi’s Road to the Semifinal
Tanvi arrived in Vietnam as the top seed after an important breakthrough season that has already included a BWF World Tour title.
Her route through this tournament has tested different aspects of her game. Against Phannachet, she had to recover from a tense opening game before controlling the second. Against Malvika, she had to respond after losing the second game 15–21 and then produce a decisive third-game performance. It was more than just a quarter-final win for Rakshitha — it was a strong response to her earlier setback at Indonesia last week.and a sign of her ability to learn
The semifinal against Sarunrak presents another challenge.
For Tanvi, this is no longer simply about being a promising teenager. She has entered the stage of her career where expectations accompany her into tournaments — and reaching another BWF final would strengthen the case that her 2026 breakthrough is becoming a sustained rise.
India's growing depth means Indian players are increasingly running into each other at the business end of tournaments. While that inevitably prevents some Indians from progressing further, it also demonstrates that the country's women's singles programme is producing multiple players capable of reaching the latter rounds.
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