Indian senior shuttler Kidambi Srikanth advanced to the second round of the Malaysia Open Super 1000 badminton event on Tuesday with a come-from-behind victory over Indonesia’s World No.5 Jonatan Christie in Kuala Lumpur. Srikanth, who has been struggling for quite some time, defeated sixth seed Christie in an hour and five minutes in the opening round. The former World No.1 will play Hong Kong’s NG Ka Long Angus in the Second Round on January 11, Thursday.
Srikanth, a silver medalist at the 2021 World Championships, has often struggled to maintain pressure in a three-game match, leading to many early exits. But the 30-year-old Indian seemed in good shape on Tuesday and played an attacking game as the match progressed despite losing the first set and sealed a remarkable win. Srikanth had some tough encounters with the Indonesian, whom he had defeated six times in eleven meetings.
Srikanth didn’t get off to a good start in the first match of the new season, trailing 4-7 early on in the opening set. Though he briefly made it 8-7, his hopes were dashed as Christie scored nine straight points to leave him stranded. With Parupalli Kashyap in the coach’s chair, Srikanth took a 4-0 lead in the second game, but Christie rallied to take an 11-7 lead at the break. The 26-year-old Christie also led 17-14 at one point, but Srikanth exhibited brilliant play and rallied to win seven of the next eight points, bouncing back strongly into the contest by winning the second set.
In the decider, Srikanth struggled as Christie dominated the rallies, going from 5-0 to 14-9. However, the Indian exploited his attacking returns and superb placements to cause Christie to twist and turn as the tide began to shift. The Indonesian also committed a few unforced errors, while Srikanth turned the tables with a seven-point run to lead 16-14. The Indian then tightened things up and punched the air as his opponent went long again.
With the Paris Olympic qualification at stake, top Indian shuttler HS Prannoy will hope to begin the new season on a bright note when he starts his Malaysia Open campaign on Wednesday. World No.8 Prannoy will look to continue his rich vein of form when he takes on Denmark’s Anders Antonsen in today’s (January 10) Round of 32. All eyes will also be on Lakshya Sen as he will look to deliver his best and get inside the top 16 after enduring contrasting fates last season.
