Early Exits for Indian Shuttlers at Arctic Open 2026

The Arctic Open 2026 in Finland saw early exits for Indian badminton stars Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy in the men's singles event. While Srikanth lost to Brian Yang and Prannoy fell to Anders Antonsen, the men's doubles team of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy achieved a stunning upset. Tharun Mannepalli advanced to the next round, keeping India's hopes alive. Upcoming matches for PV Sindhu and Tanvi Sharma promise excitement as they begin their campaigns in the women's singles.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 8, 2026, 15:00 IST

Srikanth and Prannoy Bow Out Early

In a disappointing turn of events, renowned World Championships medallists Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy faced early eliminations in the men's singles category at the Arctic Open 2026 held in Vantaa, Finland, as reported by a sports news outlet. Srikanth, currently ranked 31st globally, initially secured a win in the first game against Canada's Brian Yang, who holds the 34th position. However, he ultimately succumbed with scores of 15-21, 21-15, and 21-13. On the other hand, Prannoy, ranked 38th, was defeated by Denmark's fourth-seeded Anders Antonsen, losing decisively with scores of 21-10 and 21-9.

Men's Doubles Upset

In a contrasting outcome, the Indian men's doubles team of unseeded Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy achieved a remarkable upset by defeating the fifth-seeded pair of He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu from China. After dropping the first game, the Indian duo rallied back to secure a thrilling victory with scores of 10-21, 21-18, and 22-20, completing the match in 61 minutes and advancing to the round of 16.

Mixed Results in Men's Singles

Tharun Mannepalli kept India's hopes alive in the men's singles event by winning his match against Denmark's Magnus Johannesen in straight games. Having entered the main draw through the qualifiers, Tharun triumphed with scores of 21-16 and 21-14, earning a spot in the second round where he will face second-seed Christo Popov from France. Conversely, Rounak Chouhan, who also qualified for the main draw, was eliminated after a tightly contested match against China's Weng Hong Yang. Chouhan managed to push the match to a deciding game but ultimately lost with scores of 22-20, 20-22, and 21-17.

Upcoming Matches for Sindhu and Sharma

In the women's singles category, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Tanvi Sharma are set to commence their campaigns in the second round on Thursday. Sindhu, seeded sixth, will compete against Japan's Riko Gunji, while Sharma will face the top seed and former world champion Ratchanok Intanon from Thailand.