Indonesian Masters: Kidambi Srikanth storms into final

New Delhi: Top seed Kidambi Srikanth on Saturday reached his fourth final of the year with a comprehensive victory over local hope Ginting Anthony in the $120,000 Indonesian Masters Grand Prix Gold badminton in Malang.

The World No.9 defeated his 39th-ranked opponent 21-13, 21-19 in the semi-final. The top-ranked Indian shuttler has had a tough time on court of late, having lost in the first round of the five of the six tournaments he competed in.

The lean run came after he won the India Open Superseries and Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold.

Srikanth raced to a 7-2 lead in the first game before Anthony fought back to make it 13-12. That forced the Hyderabadi to change gears and he sealed the game by taking nine points in a row. Anthony had a 7-2 advantage in the second game before Srikanth won a flurry of points for 8-8. From there on, it seemed one-way traffic with Srikanth jumping to a 17-9 lead.

Another twist in the contest was in store as the Indonesian managed to make it 17-17. Srikanth stepped up when it mattered most, eventually going on to win the match in straight games.

Bengaluru: Chief national coach Pullela Gopichand on Saturday said that Premier Badminton League helps shuttlers to boost their careers but it’s left to the players to decide whether they should play for the country or the PBL especially when they are recovering from an injury.

“The previous Indian Badminton League was very helpful for young players and definitely a great boost for existing players too. For instance, Kidambi Srikanth matured into a good player, taking off from the previous Indian Badminton League. So, I am sure that the league will be a great help for players moving forward,” Gopichand said.

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