PV Sindhu Cruises Into Thailand Open 2026 Pre-Quarterfinals as Kidambi Srikanth Stuns Loh Kean Yew

Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth produced one of India's standout results of the Thailand Open 2026 after defeating eighth seed Loh Kean Yew in straight games, while PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen also advanced comfortably into the pre-quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Srikanth looked in complete control against the Singaporean star, sealing a dominant 21-14, 21-15 victory in just 30 minutes at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok.

The Indian shuttler, who arrived in Thailand after helping India secure a Thomas Cup bronze medal, never allowed the former world champion to settle into rhythm and repeatedly controlled the pace of rallies with sharp attacking play.

The victory sends Srikanth into the Round of 16, where he will face Chinese Taipei's Su Li Yang.

PV Sindhu cruises through after early scare

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu also progressed without much trouble despite a slow start against Chinese Taipei's Tung Ciou-Tong.

Sindhu briefly trailed 0-3 in the opening game before taking complete command of the contest, eventually winning 21-9, 21-12 in straight games.

The sixth seed looked far sharper once she settled into the match, dominating exchanges with her trademark steep smashes and improved court coverage.

She will next face Denmark's Amalie Schulz in the pre-quarterfinals.

Lakshya Sen marks injury return with straight-game win

Lakshya Sen also made a positive return after his injury setback during the Thomas Cup campaign.

The seventh seed defeated Singapore's Jia Heng Jason Teh 21-16, 21-17 in 43 minutes to move into the second round.

Lakshya appeared composed throughout the match and showed encouraging movement levels after concerns around his fitness earlier this month.

He will next face either Wang Po-Wei of Chinese Taipei or China's Zhu Xuan Chen.

Devika Sihag continues rise with gritty comeback win

Thailand Masters champion Devika Sihag continued her impressive 2026 season with a hard-fought three-game victory over Japan's Natsuki Nidaira.

The youngster won 21-19, 13-21, 21-15 after recovering strongly in the decider.

Devika initially struggled to maintain momentum after dropping the second game, but a decisive seven-point streak helped her open an 11-5 lead in the third before closing out the contest.

She will next face Thailand's Pitchamon Opatniputh.

Malvika survives scare, Anmol Kharb impresses despite defeat

Malvika Bansod also advanced after battling past Canada's Wen Yu Zhang 13-21, 26-24, 21-13 in a dramatic comeback win.

However, one of India's most impressive performances despite defeat came from young Anmol Kharb against world No. 4 Chen Yu Fei.

Kharb stunned the Chinese star by taking the opening game 21-19 and later raced to an 11-2 lead in the decider before Chen mounted a comeback to win 19-21, 21-13, 21-18.

Unnati Hooda also pushed fourth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong before eventually losing 21-11, 17-21, 16-21.

Mixed doubles disappointments for India

India's mixed doubles campaign, however, suffered multiple early exits.

Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto were beaten 9-21, 15-21 by Denmark's Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje, while Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde lost 15-21, 10-21 to Thailand's Supak Jomkoh and Ornnicha Jongsathapornparn.

Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh also crashed out after a 22-24, 11-21 defeat against Tsai Fu Cheng and Sung Yu-Hsuan.

Despite the mixed overall results, India's singles campaign received a major boost through Srikanth's upset victory, Sindhu's steady progress and Lakshya's successful comeback.