With three high profile tournaments held back-to-back in Europe, only Indonesia clinched titles in more than one event.
While the European athletes drew a blank at the German Open, Viktor Axelsen stood atop the podium of the All England. However, there is cause for celebration as Europe went one step better, winning two titles at the Super 300 Swiss Open.
Stoevas have their reward
Having lost in their last three finals, including the recently concluded German Open, Gabriela Stoeva/ Stefani Stoeva finally taste victory. The two-time Swiss Open runner-ups in 2018 and 2021 won the tournament in style. They eased past the familiar opponents Linda Euler/ Isabel Lohau 21-14, 21-12.
Lohau makes amends
Having lost to the Stoevas in women’s doubles, the German athlete later partnered with Mark Lamsfuss for the mixed doubles crown. Shaking off the earlier disappointment, Lohau stepped up against the Malaysians Goh Soon Huat/ Shevon Jamie Lai. Having a dismal 4-0 record mattered little as the Germans made an incredible comeback. The scoreline of the only three-game final was 12-21, 21-18, 21-17.
A forgettable day for Malaysia
The Malaysians also lost the other final they featured in. Fajar Alfian/ Muhammad Rian Ardianto got going at the Swiss Open after indifferent form in the previous two tournaments. They defeated the top three Malaysian pairs on the way to their first title in three years.
Surviving a 22-20 scare against Ong Yew Sin/ Teo Ee Yi in the quarterfinal, the Indonesians got the better of the Olympic bronze medallists Aaron Chia/ Soh Wooi Yik in the semifinal to set up the final against the German Open champions. Goh Sze Fei/ Nur Izzuddin played catch-up for the most part before going down 21-18, 21-19.
Christie finds form
Jonatan Christie’s weekend matches were reminiscent of the form that saw him win the Asian Games in 2018. It was almost as if he was controlling the shuttle with an invisible thread as he found delectable winners again and again. The Indonesian was a class above his Indian opponents Kidambi Srikanth and H S Prannoy respectively. He delivered a mesmerizing performance, winning 21-12, 21-18 in the final.
Sindhu wins for India
Having clearly struggled against the higher-ranked opponents of late, the Swiss Open was a respite for her in the same arena she became World Champion.
With no other player ranked within the top 10 contesting the title, the Indian was the clear favourite. She survived the semifinal against Supanida Katethong. Playing against Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the final, Pusarla V Sindhu exuded confidence. With a momentous record of 15-1, the Tokyo bronze medallist won 21-16, 21-8.