India's star players PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, and HS Prannoy stormed into the pre-quarterfinals of the Swiss Open 2023 Super 300 badminton tournament after winning their respective matches in women's and men's singles in Basel on Wednesday.
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Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, got off to a flying start to defend her title. She defeated Switzerland's Jenjira Stadelmann 21-9 21-16 in a one-sided first round of the Swiss Open 2023 women's singles match. Sindhu will face Indonesia's 20-year-old Putri Kusuma Wardani. Wardani was part of the gold-winning team at the 2022 Asia Team Championships.
In men's singles, Kidambi Srikanth, H.S. Prannoy, Mithun Manjunath and men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty also advanced to the second round. World No. 9 Prannoy notched up a 21-17 19-21 21-17 win over All England Championship finalist Shi Yu Qi of China in the first round of the men's singles. Prannoy will next face France's Christo Popov. While Srikanth defeated Weng Hong Yang 21-16, 15-21, 21-18. The Indian shuttler will next face Cheuk Yiu Lee.
Meanwhile, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, India's top pair in men's doubles, defeated the Malaysian pair of Xin Yuan Boon and Tien Ci Wong 21-15, 21-18 to stay in the hunt for a Swiss Open 2023 medal. Earlier, Mithun Manjunath registered a 21-8, 21-17 win over Joran Kweekel of the Netherlands to advance to the men's singles pre-quarterfinals of the Swiss Open 2023. He will face Chia Hao Lee of Chinese Taipei next.
However, Commonwealth Games 2022 men's champion Lakshya Sen, made a first round exit after losing 21-18, 21-11 to Hong Kong's Cheuk Yiu Lee. In the women's singles, Malvika Bansod also lost 21-14, 21-15 to Korea's Kim Ga Eun. While Aakarshi Kashyap had to face defeat 21-15, 21-17 against Germany's Yvonne Li.