Srikanth keeps India’s hopes alive amid early exits at German Open

Thursday at the YONEX German Open 2026 saw a flurry of intense matches, surprising upsets, and standout performances as the tournament progressed into the Round of 16. For India, it was a day of mixed fortunes, with Kidambi Srikanth emerging as the lone savior for the country.

Srikanth overcame a slow start against Poland’s Mikołaj Szymanowski , trailing 7‑2 in the first game, before taking control to win convincingly 21‑12, 21‑11 . His composed performance ensured he advanced to the Round of 16 , where he is scheduled to face fourth seed Lin Chun‑Yi of Chinese Taipei . Srikanth’s win kept India’s flag flying in the men’s singles competition, even as other Indian contenders faltered.

The rest of the Indian camp struggled to make an impact. In women’s singles, Tanvi Sharma lost in a hard-fought three-game match 21‑19, 17‑21, 21‑16 to Wong Ling Ching of Malaysia . Kiran George bowed out in straight games 10‑21, 20‑22 to top seed Christo Popov . Tharun Mannepalli also exited after losing 18‑21, 18‑21 to Wang Tzu‑Wei (Chinese Taipei) . Several other Indian women’s singles players, including Malvika Bansod , Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj , Tasnim Mir , Aakarshi Kashyap , and Isharani Baruah , were eliminated in the opening round.

Indian doubles hopes were similarly dashed. The women’s doubles pair Ashwini Bhat & Sikha Gautam went down 14‑21, 21‑14, 8‑21 against their Chinese Taipei opponents, ending India’s campaign in the category for the day.

Thursday also witnessed exciting international matches and unexpected results. Taiwanese players and European shuttlers delivered thrilling performances in both singles and doubles, highlighting the competitive intensity of this Super 300 event. Mixed doubles saw several top pairs advance comfortably, setting up a challenging Round of 16.

With the tournament moving deeper into the knockout stages, Kidambi Srikanth remains India’s lone contender , and fans will look to him to keep the country’s hopes alive in the coming days. Meanwhile, the early exits of other Indian players serve as a reminder of the unpredictable and fiercely competitive nature of the German Open.