Basel: After suffering early exit at the All England championships last Wednesday, World No. 2 men’s singles player Lee Chong Wei has withdrawn from this week’s Swiss Open in Basel slated to kick off on Tuesday, citing fitness problem.
Lee who was scheduled to play Rasmus Fladberg of Denmark in the men’s singles first round, had been replaced in the main draw by Christian Kirchmayr of Switzerland.
Meanwhile, defending champion Kidambi Srikanth has also pulled out from the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold at the last moment.
“I am not playing Swiss Open this year. I want some more time for training before I play India Open,” said world No. 10 Srikanth.
Without Srikanth, two-time women’s singles winner Saina Nehwal who clinched the title in 2011 and 2012, will spearhead the Indian team and will start her campaign to complete a hat-trick when she locks horns with Germany’s Karin Schnaase in the opening round of women’s singles competition.
Fortunately, badminton fans should be optimistic that Lee Chong Wei and Kidambi Srikanth will return to competition at the India Open Superseries which will be held in New Delhi, from March 29 to April 3.
