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PV Sindhu remains the last Indian to stand at the Swiss Open 2021 as she stormed into the final in Basel on Saturday. Kidambi Srikanth and the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, however, crashed out of this Super 300 tournament on a day of mixed fortunes for India.
Second-seeded Sindhu edged fourth-seeded Mia Blichfeldt in a close first game before running away with the second to record a 22-20, 21-10 victory in 43 minutes. Sindhu will now face Carolina Marin, who defeated third seed Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-15, 20-22, 21-19 in 1 hour and 16 minutes.
Their Swiss Open meeting will be the 14th face-off between the two shuttle queens who had locked horns in an enthralling Rio Olympic title showdown. The Spaniard leads the head-to-head record at 8-5, having won their last couple of meetings.
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First final at Swiss Open for PV Sindhu
This is the first time PV Sindhu has reached a final since winning the World Championships in 2019. Incidentally, that tournament was held at this same venue.
It also marks the first final ever at the Swiss Open for the 25-year-old, who is looking to get back to form with the Tokyo Olympics being just a few months away.
Having lost a thriller to Mia Blichfeldt in the first round of the Yonex Thailand Open in January, Sindhu was careful not to repeat the same mistakes this time. The Dane was on Sindhu's heels throughout the first game before the Indian inched ahead to 19-17. The resilient Blichfeldt kept up the pressure to level things at 20-20. But Sindhu's attacking game helped her edge out her opponent at 22-20.
The second game was a thoroughly one-sided contest. From 7-4, Sindhu raced ahead to the finish line in no time.
Srikanth, Satwik-Chirag crash out of Swiss Open in semis
In a repeat of the 2015 Swiss Open final, Kidambi Srikanth and Viktor Axelsen squared off but this time the Dane reversed the result. The first game was a breeze for top seed Viktor Axelsen, who claimed it 21-13.
Srikanth showed sparks of his brilliance in a tight second game before succumbing to a 13-21, 19-21 defeat in 41 minutes.
In the men's doubles, second seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were ousted 10-21, 17-21 by sixth seeds Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.
