Star Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth progressed to the quarterfinals of the Macau Open Super 300 badminton tournament on Thursday, securing a straight-game win over compatriot Ayush Shetty in the second round. Srikanth, seeded sixth in the tournament, showed his experience and skill, defeating Ayush 21-13, 21-18 in a 37-minute contest.
The match marked Srikanth’s return to competitive play after recovering from an injury sustained in May. Despite being sidelined for months, the 2021 World Championship silver medallist appeared in strong form as he dismantled Shetty, the runner-up of the 2023 Odisha Masters.
Srikanth started slowly, allowing Ayush to gain a brief 5-3 lead in the first game. However, the former world number one quickly found his rhythm, taking control of the rallies and moving into an 11-8 lead at the mid-game interval. Srikanth dominated the second half of the game, closing out the opener 21-13.
In the second game, Ayush responded with a more competitive display, building a 9-6 lead early on and later extending it to 15-10. However, Srikanth’s experience shone through as he shifted gears, winning nine of the next ten points to turn the tide and take a 19-16 lead. He ultimately sealed the match, winning 21-18 and advancing as the last Indian left in the singles event.
Next, Srikanth will face a challenging quarterfinal match against second-seeded Ng Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong. The two share an even 4-4 head-to-head record from their previous eight encounters, making this a highly anticipated clash.
In other matches, India’s former world junior number one Tasnim Mir put up a valiant effort against Japan’s fourth seed and 2022 World Junior Champion Tomoka Miyazaki. Despite forcing the match into three games, Mir eventually lost 17-21, 21-13, 10-21 in the women’s singles second round.
The mixed doubles team of B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy also exited the tournament after a 17-21, 14-21 defeat to Malaysia’s Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien in their second-round match.
As the sole Indian player remaining in singles, all eyes will be on Srikanth as he looks to continue his comeback and push for a deep run in the Macau Open.
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