March 13, New Delhi – Young Indian badminton player Tharun Mannepalli advanced to the second round of the Swiss Open tournament after his opponent, Kenta Nishimoto, retired in Basel.
The 24-year-old Mannepalli, ranked 43rd in the world, was leading 16-21, 21-16, 7-2 when the fifth-seeded Nishimoto retired from the round-of-32 match due to a shoulder injury.
Mannepalli will next face Malaysia's Justin Hoh.
Meanwhile, Kiran George was eliminated in the men's singles pre-quarterfinals after losing to Hong Kong's Jason Gunawan. George fought hard but lost 18-21, 21-16, 16-21 in the round-of-16 match.
