Swiss Open 2024: Indian Challenge Ends After Kidambi Srikanth Loses Semi-Final

Indian challenge in the Swiss Open 2024 ended on Saturday (March 23) after Kidambi Srikanth lost the men’s singles semi-final clash against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-yi at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland.

The former world number one Srikanth squandered a one-game lead to go down 21-15 9-21 18-21 in a gruelling last-four contest that lasted an hour and five minutes on court 1.

After taking the opener, Srikanth took an early 4-1 lead in the second game. However, errors started to creep into the 2021 World Championships silver medallist’s game and Srikanth lost the momentum to go down tamely in the next game with Lin, forcing a decider.

Srikanth did get his rhythm back in the decider with not much separating the two shuttlers, who fought hard for supremacy. The Indian managed to take a slender lead at the interval.

At 16-16, Lin manage to take a three-point lead. Srikanth did mange to cut down his deficit but the nerves got the better of him and he ultimately succumbed to defeat.

Swiss Open 2024: Indian Schedule, Results, Telecast & Live Streaming Info

The match marked Srikanth’s first semifinal appearance in 16 months. He had last reached the last-four stage at the Hylo Open in November 2022. The 31-year-old had defeated another Chinese Taipe shuttler Lee Chia-hao to reach the last four in Basel.

Earlier, Srikanth, who is looking to seal a Paris Olympics berth and spot in the Thomas Cup team, had beaten the top seed Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia to reach his first quarter-final on the BWF World Tour this year.

While Srikanth reached the semi-final, several Indian shuttlers including PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen made an early exit from the Super 300 tournament in Basel.

Sindhu, the lone women’s singles shuttler, lost to to 17-year-old Japanese Tomoka Miyazaki by a scoreline of 21-16, 19-21, 16-21 in the women’s singles second round on Thursday (March 21).

Seventh seed in the men’s singles competition, Sen went down in straight games 17-21, 15-21 to Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chia-hao in the second round, while Priyanshu Rajawat and Kiran George made quarter-final exits.