Swiss Open: Kidambi Srikanth continues his brilliant campaign to enter the semi-finals; remains only one in the tournament

Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth continued his brilliant campaign in the Swiss Open Super 300 tournament by defeating Lee Chia Hao of Chinese Taipei in straight games 21-10, 21-14 to enter the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, Srikanth will have an exciting fight against Lin Chun-yi of Chinese Taipei.

Right from the start, Srikanth maintained his dominance and took a lead of 11-5, and kept constant pressure on his opponent. Despite Lee's brief comeback, Srikanth maintained his composure and displayed his superior skills to win the first game 21-10. In the second game, Srikanth's attacking prowess proved too much for Lee, as the Indian shuttler sealed his place in the Swiss Open semi-finals with another emphatic win. 

Playing his eighth tournament this season, Srikanth finally got some momentum as he made his first final-four appearance in 16 months. He last played a semifinal at Hylo Open in November 2022. He emerged as the lone Indian survivor at the Swiss Open badminton tournament. While Srikanth's stellar performance grabbed the headlines, Indian shuttlers Priyanshu Rajawat and Kiran George faced disappointment as they bowed out of the Swiss Open tournament after losing their respective matches. Priyanshu fell against Chou Tien-Chen 15-21, 19-21, while Kiran George lost to Rasmus Gemke 23-21, 17-21, 15-21.

In the women's doubles event, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lost in straight games 14-21, 15-21 against Australia's Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu. The defeat dealt a blow to their Olympic qualification aspirations, as they are currently 14th in the rankings. With the Olympic Games approaching, Treesa and Gayatri face an uphill battle to secure their place in this prestigious competition. In the doubles category, the qualification scenario adds more complexity, with only the top two pairs getting a chance to qualify if they finish in the top 8 by April 28. Otherwise, the top world number 16 pair will earn the coveted Olympic berth.