In a stunning match at the Swiss Open in Basel, India’s Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian defeated the world No. 2, Anders Antonsen. The 64th-ranked Indian player won with a score of 18-21, 21-12, 21-5 in a game that lasted 66 minutes. This big upset has made every Indian badminton fan proud and happy.
Sankar’s win is extra special because it happened at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, the same place where PV Sindhu won the World Championships in 2019 by beating Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara 21-7, 21-7. Interestingly, Antonsen also lost the men’s final there that year, and now, six years later, he faced another huge defeat at the same venue. For Sankar, this victory feels like a dream come true.
The match started with Antonsen taking the first game 18-21. But Sankar didn’t give up. Instead, he fought back hard in the second game, winning 21-12. Then, in the third game, something unbelievable happened. Sankar completely took charge and won 21-5. Antonsen couldn’t keep up. He kept hitting the shuttle outside the lines and struggled to judge where it would land. Meanwhile, Sankar stayed calm and strong, showing everyone his smart playing style.
WOW!
Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian beats world No 2 Anders Antonsen for the BIGGEST win of his career. 21-5 in the decider! Scarcely believable (although Antonsen was quite off his game, not sure what happened).
One of the many superb points Sankar played! pic.twitter.com/6B5XibjLW6
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) March 20, 2025
Sankar loves to play defensively, just like his hero, Kento Momota, the retired Japanese champion. “I play defensively, but I also focus on being accurate. My attack is getting better too. Kento Momota won with this style, so why can’t I?” Sankar had said earlier this year. His coach, Aravind, also shared that many people doubted Sankar’s style since he was young. “They said he wouldn’t do well in U15s, then U17s, and even after he reached the U19 World Juniors final, they said seniors would be too tough. But Sankar keeps proving them wrong,” Aravind added proudly.
During the match, Sankar’s solid defence tired out Antonsen. The Danish player made many mistakes because Sankar stayed patient and kept the shuttle in play. This forced Antonsen to take risks, and he ended up losing points. For Indian fans watching, it was exciting to see Sankar turn the game around and beat one of the world’s best players so convincingly.
Other Indian Players at Swiss Open
Besides Sankar’s big win, other Indian players also took part in the tournament. In women’s doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand moved to the quarterfinals after beating Germany’s Amelie Lehmann and Selin Hubsch 21-12, 21-8. They won easily, showing their great teamwork. However, things didn’t go as well for the men’s singles players. Priyanshu Rajawat lost to Toma Popov 15-21, 17-21 in 47 minutes. Srikanth Kidambi, who had earlier beaten HS Prannoy, couldn’t win against China’s Li Shi Feng and lost 15-21, 11-21. In women’s singles, Anupama Upadhyaya and Isharani Baruah also faced defeats.
