Swiss Open: PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth move to pre-quarters

Indian shuttlers put out a show in the round of 32 at the Swiss Open Super 300 tournament on Wednesday as PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and Kidambi Srikanth progressed to the pre-quarterfinals.

Sindhu, who had claimed the title in 2022, beat Thailand's Pornpicha Choeikeewong 21-12, 21-13 to set up a meeting with Japan's Tomoka Miyazaki in the second round.

It was an easy win for the star Indian shuttler as she defeated Choeikeewong in no time and continued her improved run this season.

With two semifinal finishes in two weeks, Lakshya Sen outclassed Leong Jun Hao of Malaysia 21-19, 15-21, 21-11.

Lakshya was looking fatigued with all the intense matches he had played over the last two weeks but used his experience against Leong to win the first game 21-19 despite lagging earlier in the game.

Leong won the second game 21-15 but Lakshya demolished him in the deciding game with his winners and clinched the match.

Srikanth, the former world no. 1, who had clinched the title in 2015, outwitted world no. 24 Chinese Taipei's Wang Tzu Wei 21-17 21-18 in a 43-minute contest. It was his sixth win in seven meetings against his opponent.

Srikanth, a 2021 world championships silver medallist, will next face a tough opponent in Malaysia's top seed Lee Zii Jia.

Indian dominance continued in men's singles as Kiran George registered a straight-game win over Takuma Obayashi of Japan 21-18, 21-19.

Priyanshu Rajawat is the fourth Indian to book his spot in second round of men's singles. He upset the fourth seeded, higher ranked Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong 21-12, 21-15.

In women's doubles, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa, seeded sixth, overcame Indonesia's Meilysa Trias Puspitasari and Rachel Allessya Rose 21-18 12-21 21-19 in a thrilling opener.

The world no. 20 Indian pair will face Japan's Rui Hirokami and Yuna Kato next.

Another Indian pair of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra beat Chinese Taipei's Huang Yu-Hsun and Liang Ting Yu 21-13 21-19 in another women's doubles match.

In mixed doubles, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran/Aadya Variyath defeated Roy King Yap and Valeree Siow of Malaysia 21-18, 11-21, 21-19.

Another mixed doubles pair of B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy also moved forward as their opponent second-seeded Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand retired in the first game.