Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth, men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty as well as women’s doubles combo of Teresa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand assured a fine beginning by entering the quarterfinals of Macau Open Super 300 on Thursday.
Key Moments in Srikanth’s Victory
| Set | Score | Srikanth’s Performance |
|---|---|---|
| First Set | 21-13 | Srikanth started slow but took control after an 11-8 lead at the interval. He dominated the rest of the game to win comfortably. |
| Second Set | 21-18 | Ayush led 15-10, but Srikanth composed himself, winning ten points in a row to clinch the match. |
The optimism was underlined by Srikanth, who made a comeback to the competitive circuit after testing positive for an injury and outplayed fellow Indian Ayush Shetty to advance into the next round of the men’s singles event.
At the same time, the young women’s doubles pair Treesa/Gayatri also became the single medal winners along with Srikanth to reach the last eight on each All- England.
But it was a mixed day for Indian shuttlers; other top contenders like Tasnim Mir and the Mixed Doubles team of B. Sumeeth Reddy and N. Sikki Reddy were out of the tour.
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Srikanth Shines in His Return from Injury
image credit: the bridge.in
World number 6 started as a seeded player in the tournament and returned from injury as he dismantled Ayush Shetty 21-13, 21-18 in the second round.
This victory has come at a time when Srikanth was out of competition for several months due to an injury he received in May this year.
The 2021 World Championship silver medallist will now be up against a tough quarterfinal opponent in the Hong Kong second seed Ng Ka Long Angus.
He and Nadal have played many times and are at par with each other, wherein they have won four times against each other.
Srikanth will hope to take the lead against his rival in their next match, the quarterfinal place being at stake.
The match between Srikanth and Ayush proved how wise Srikanth was and his excellent ability to outbeat his opponent tactically.
In the first match, Srikanth started a little slow, but later he came back to 3-5, but at the interval, he was leading 11-8. From there on, he built on this lead and won the first game 21-13.
The second game took a competitive look, with Ayush looking a bit better and leading 15-10 once.
But the youth got nervous and started to loosen up his racket, while Srikanth remained composed and aimed well. Srikanth, however, settled down to dominate the next ten points and won the game 21-18, making the game total 37 minutes.
Treesa and Gayatri Cruise in Women’s Doubles
Indian Shuttlers’ Performance Recap
- Srikanth Kidambi – Quarterfinalist (Men’s Singles)
- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty – Quarterfinalists (Men’s Doubles)
- Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand – Quarterfinalists (Women’s Doubles)
- Tasnim Mir, B. Sumeeth Reddy/N. Sikki Reddy – Eliminated
World number 6 began the tournament as a seeded player and was back from injury as he easily dispatched Ayush Shetty 21-13, 21-18 in the second round.
This victory had arrived at a good juncture as Srikanth was out of competition for several months when he got injured in May this year.
The 2021 World Championship silver medallist will now face a very stiff quarterfinal test in the second-seeded player from Hong Kong Ng Ka Long Angus.
The two have faced each other severally, and indeed, they are in the same class since each has beaten the other four times. Srikanth will want to take a lead over his rival in the forthcoming match, the place of the quarterfinal becoming the pawn.
Importance of this victory
Srikanth’s victory over Ayush illustrated how clever Srikanth was; he also showed his excellent strategy in out playing his opponent.
Srikanth was also trailing by 3-5 in the first match, though they came back and won by 5-3, and at the interval, the score was 8-11. After getting this lead, he carried on with it and won the first game 21/13!
The second game produced a more competitive look, with Ayush looking a bit better and taking a 15-10once lead.
However, the youth got nervous and carried out a signal of loosening up his racket and Srikanth proved excellent with precision. Srikanth, however, steadied and took ten points to win and clinch the match 21-18, extending the game to 37 minutes.
Srikanth’s Road Ahead: Facing Ng Ka Long Angus
| Player | Ranking | Head-to-Head Wins |
|---|
| Srikanth Kidambi | World No. 6 | 4 |
| Ng Ka Long Angus | World No. 15 | 4 |
Ahead of his quarterfinal match, Srikanth will have a test in the form of the second-seeded Ng Ka Long Angus of the Macau Open.
In their direct meetings, Nadal and Djokovic have won four games each against each other. However, this is where Srikanth will find solace with an outstanding recent run and exposure when facing the Hong Kong specialist.
15th ranked Ng Ka Long Angus is also a strong play and evidenced stamina player. For his part, Srikanth will have to depend on his ability to place his shots perfectly and use his brain to counter the Malaysian talent-du-jour in Hong Kong.
This quarterfinal match will be extraordinarily enthralling since both participants consider the final four as achievable.
The Macau Open 2024 will surely be an interesting event for Badminton lovers in India as the jaded shuttler Kidambi Srikanth and the new billion-string partnership of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are set to participate.
Amazing fit has come back from injury and his next match against Ng Ka Long Angus will be crucial in deciding his future.
At the same time, the performances of Teresa and Gayatri may confirm their perspective in the women’s doubles.
Throughout the current tournament, the Indian audience must look forward to more good performances from the badminton players.
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References:
TimesofIndia.com
Sportstar.com
