Indonesia triumph special because it’s my first Super Series win in 2 years: Kidambi Srikanth to India Today
June 20, 2017
Kidambi Srikanth became the first men’s player to win the Indonesia Super Series Premier title for India on Sunday when he beat Japanese Kazumasa Sakai 21-11, 21-19 in the summit clash.
With the win, Srikanth clinched his third Super Series title after he had notched up victories at the 2014 China Open and the 2015 India Open.
Srikanth displayed clever net play and usage of court in order to create attacking opportunities for himself that allowed him to express himself and play his natural game against Sakai.
This was Srikanth’s second consecutive Super Series final, after he reached the summit clash at Singapore Open where he lost to compatriot B Sai Praneeth.
Srikanth’s next assignment is the Australian Open Super Series, which will be held from June 20-25. Along with him, other men’s singles competitors from India will be B Sai Praneeth, Ajay Jayaram, Sameer Verma and HS Prannoy. Ashwini Ponappa and Satwaiksairaj Rankireddy will be participating in the mixed doubles category while Ashwini will partner N Sikki Reddy in the women’s doubles category. The men’s doubles would be contested by Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy while Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu will represent in the women’s singles. Srikanth posted a picture of his flight ticket on Instragram while HS Prannoy tweeted a picture along with a few teammates after reaching Sydney.
In an exclusive interview with IndiaToday.in, Srikanth spoke about how much the win meant to him and how he conquered the title.
Excerpts:
Abreshmina S Quadri: You’re the first male Indian to win the Indonesia Super Series Premier title. How is it sinking in?
Kidambi Srikanth: I am very happy to do so and this title is also special for me because I won a Super Series after 2 years, that last title coming in 2015 at home in India Open.
Abreshmina: What was your strategy against Sakai, especially when he took the lead in the second set?
Srikanth: The conditions were very tricky here so it took a little time for me to adjust to that. In the crucial points, I tried to play a little aggressive and it worked for me.
Abreshmina: What did you improve in your game from the Singapore Open where you finished runners-up?
Srikanth: We train everyday for improvements and even now when I will go back, I’ll train to further improve my game. There’s nothing specific as of now that I’m working on, it’s like I want to improve every aspect of my game.
Abreshmina: How has coach Mulyo Handoyo helped your game?
Srikanth: His training program is different from what we used to do before and I feel this new setup is working fine for me.
Abreshmina: What is the difference in the training program that Handoyo has implemented?
Srikanth: The sessions have become longer and we are playing on court for longer periods of time compared to the amount of time we used to spend earlier.
Abreshmina: Your celebration was extremely vibrant. Considering your return from the injury, how much does this title mean to you?
Srikanth: As I told you, this title is very special to me because it has come after a long hiatus.
Abreshmina: Any word on the changing scenario of badminton setup in India with the new president, Himanta Biswa Sarma, at the helm?
Srikanth: The new president wants to develop badminton in the country and he is actually taking inputs from all the players. So I feel and wish that things only gets better from here.
Abreshmina: Lastly, your thoughts on the growth of badminton in the country.
Srikanth: It’s great to see so many players perform well on the global stage. That’s how the local standard also improves. I feel this is just the beginning and there much more to come.
