NEW DELHI: India Kidambi Srikanth finished runner-up at the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament after losing a tough men’s singles final to Chinese Taipei’s Su Li-yang. The 33-year-old former world No.1 showed great fighting spirit by recovering after losing the opening game, but eventually went down 15-21, 21-16, 9-21 in a physically demanding contest that lasted just over an hour.Playing his first final of the season, Srikanth started brightly but lost momentum after an uncharacteristic error when his racket crossed the net during a rally. Although they battled to level points midway through the opening game, Su raised the intensity after the break, using her speed and deceptive box to take control and secure the first game.The second game was a much tighter affair, with both players meeting point for point. Srikanth showed his experience and strong net play, taking control during the middle stages of the game. Despite a late challenge from Su, the Indian held his nerve, earning several game points before sealing the game with a powerful down-the-line smash to force a decisive third game.
Su dominates the last match to claim the title of bride
The decider, however, belonged to young Su, who came out aggressively and never allowed Srikanth to settle down. The Chinese Taipei player maintained a relentless pace and built a comfortable lead. Srikanth mixed brilliant winners with unforced errors and was also frustrated after being denied permission by the chair umpire to change his shirt during the game.Su continued to dominate the rallies and eventually earned 12 championship points. Although Srikanth saved one, Su closed out the match to win the first BWF World Tour title of his career, while Srikanth had to settle for another runner-up finish.
