Srikanth Stuns Loh Kean Yew, Sindhu Advances At Thailand Open

Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth produced a commanding display to upset Singapore’s eighth seed and former world champion Loh Kean Yew, while two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu advanced comfortably to the second round as India witnessed mixed fortunes at the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament on Wednesday.

Srikanth, the 2013 Thailand Open champion and 2021 World Championships silver medallist, defeated Loh 21-14, 21-15 in just 30 minutes. The Indian shuttler dominated the rallies with sharp attacking play and never allowed the Singaporean to settle into rhythm.

The 32-year-old will next face Chinese Taipei’s Su Li Yang in the round of 16.

Sindhu, seeded sixth and chasing her first BWF World Tour title since the 2024 Syed Modi International, also enjoyed a smooth outing against Chinese Taipei’s Tung Ciou-Tong. The Indian star controlled the contest with aggressive strokeplay and superior court coverage to seal a straight-game victory.

She will now take on Denmark’s Amalie Schulz in the pre-quarterfinals.

India also had reason to cheer after 21-year-old Devika Sihag registered her maiden Super 500-level victory, defeating Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira in a three-game battle.

However, several Indian shuttlers suffered early exits despite spirited performances. Asian Championships finalist Ayush Shetty fought hard before losing 13-21, 21-17, 4-21 to Japan’s sixth seed Kodai Naraoka, while Tharun Mannepalli went down 12-21, 16-21 against Koki Watanabe.

In women’s singles, Unnati Hooda stretched Thailand’s fourth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong to three games before losing 21-11, 17-21, 16-21.

Teenager Anmol Kharb also impressed despite a narrow defeat to China’s Olympic champion Chen Yufei. Kharb had surged to an 11-2 lead in the deciding game before the experienced Chinese shuttler staged a comeback to win 19-21, 21-13, 21-18.

Later in the day, Lakshya Sen, Malvika Bansod, Isharani Baruah and Tanvi Sharma were scheduled to begin their campaigns.