India's fourth highest ranked men's badminton player HS Prannoy won the men's singles title at the 2016 Swiss Open in Basel, defeating his opponent Germany's Marc Zwiebler in straight sets 21-18 21-15 in the final on Sunday. This is Prannoy's second title at a Grand Prix Gold tournament, after he won the 2014 Indonesian Masters.
The thirteenth-seeded Prannoy and the seventh seeded Zwiebler fought a tightly contested first round, as the score read 17-17. The 23-year-old from Kerala then took the lead and went on to win the first round. Prannoy held forth through the second round though Zwiebler fought back, and won it, 21-15.
“It is a big win for me and I am very happy! Beating Marc Zwiebler, who is so much more experienced, and has been a former top 5 player, is a big confidence boost for me. Last year was tough, but I am happy with my performances this year. I hope to carry my form going into the India Open and the rest of the season," said Prannoy, in a statement from the Go Sports Foundation, which supports him under its mentorship programme.
This is the second consecutive year that an Indian has won the men's singles title at the Swiss Open, after Kidambi Srikanth's triumph last year.
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