Kidambi Srikanth gets revenge, stuns former world champion as Sindhu also progresses at Thailand Open

Kidambi Srikanth, ranked 29th in the badminton world rankings, scripted a memorable revenge win at the Thailand Open Super 500 in Bangkok on Wednesday as the Indian badminton star defeated former world champion Loh Kean Yew in straight games to advance to the round of 16.

That's a fantastic start to the campaign.

The match was a rematch of the 2021 World Championships final in Huelva where Srikanth had suffered a heartbreaking defeat against the Singaporean. Nearly five years later, the Indian finally got his moment back as he outplayed Loh 21-14, 21-15 in a confident and composed performance.

33-year-old Srikanth barely allowed the World No. 13 to settle into rhythm and looked sharp throughout the contest. The former Thailand Open champion from 2013 wrapped up the victory with a brilliant rally that had the crowd in Bangkok applauding loudly.

The win also marked one of Srikanth’s biggest results in recent months as he continues his comeback on the BWF circuit. He will next face Chinese Taipei’s Su Li Yang in the round of 16. Su, born on December 27, 2001, is currently ranked World No. 47 in the world.

Two time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu also cruised into the pre quarterfinals with a dominant straight games win over Chinese Taipei’s Tung Ciou Tong.

The sixth seeded Indian needed just 33 minutes to dismantle her opponent 21-9, 21-12 and looked in complete control throughout the match.

Sindhu, who is still searching for her first BWF title since winning the Syed Modi International in 2024, will next face Denmark’s World No. 41 Amalie Schulz in the round of 16. The two players have never faced each other before on the international circuit.