Swiss Open 2026: Kiran George stuns former world champion Loh Kean Yew
India were also dealt a blow when HS Prannoy withdrew from his opening-round match, giving a walkover to Japan’s Koki Watanabe.
Kiran George will hope to finish off the season on a high. (Source Kiran George/Instagram)
India’s campaign at the BWF Swiss Open 2026 saw mixed results on Wednesday, highlighted by a major upset from Kiran George, who defeated former world champion Loh Kean Yew to advance to the next round.
Kiran produced one of the standout performances of the day, overcoming the Singaporean star in a hard-fought contest to move into the Round of 16 in Basel.
However, it was a disappointing outing for Kidambi Srikanth, who bowed out in the opening round after losing to Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie Gunawan in three games. Srikanth started strongly by taking the first game 21-15 but struggled to maintain the momentum as Gunawan fought back to win the next two games 21-12, 21-4 and seal the match.
Earlier in the day, India had already suffered several setbacks in singles competition. Ayush Shetty lost 18-21, 19-21 to Canada’s Brian Yang, while Tanvi Sharma was beaten 21-11, 21-10 by Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani.
India was also dealt a blow when HS Prannoy withdrew from his opening-round match, giving a walkover to Japan’s Koki Watanabe.
Despite the early exits, Kiran George’s victory over Loh Kean Yew stood out as a major positive for India at the Super 300 event in Basel.
Stay connected with The Bridge on #socials.