Basel, March 23: Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth continued his impressive campaign at the Swiss Open Super 300 tournament, storming into the semifinals with a commanding straight-game 21-10, 21-14 victory over Chia Hao Lee of Chinese Taipei.
From the onset, Srikanth asserted his dominance, surging to an early 11-5 lead and maintaining relentless pressure on his opponent. Despite a brief resurgence from Lee, Srikanth maintained his composure and showcased his superior skills to clinch the first game convincingly by 21-10.
In the second game, Srikanth's attacking prowess proved too much for Lee to handle, as the Indian shuttler sealed his semifinal berth with another emphatic win.
Srikanth's path to the semifinals was marked by determination and skill, setting the stage for a tantalizing showdown against Lin Chun Yi of Chinese Taipei in the next round.
While Srikanth's stellar run captured the headlines, Indian shuttlers Priyanshu Rajawat and Kiran George faced disappointment as they were knocked out of the tournament in their respective matches. Priyanshu fell short against Chou Tien Chen (15-21, 19-21), while Kiran George suffered defeat at the hands of Rasmus Gemke (23-21, 17-21, 15-21).
In the women's doubles event, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand endured a tough outing, succumbing to a straight-game defeat (14-21, 15-21) against Australia's Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu. The loss dealt a blow to their Olympic qualification aspirations, as they currently share the 14th place in the rankings. With the Olympic Games on the horizon, Treesa and Gayatri face an uphill battle to secure their spot in the prestigious event.
In the doubles category, the qualification scenario adds further complexity, with only the top two pairings having a chance to qualify if they rank within the top 8 by April 28. Otherwise, the top pair within the world number 16 will earn the coveted Olympic berth. (IANS)
