Kolkata: B Sai Praneeth put on an emphatic display to clinch the Singapore Open title by beating another Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on April 16. This is Praneeth’s first Super Series title win in career.
The match was always going to be an interesting one, as it was two Indian shuttlers battling each other for the trophy and also because of the fact that both Sai Praneeth and Kidambi Srikanth have been in phenomenal form throughout the tournament. And both looked good for getting their hands on the title.
Yet, Praneeth held that edge over Srikanth because of the fact that the former has beaten Srikanth on four earlier occasions out of their five encounters so far. Their last meeting was at the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold where the match went in Praneeth’s favour.
Srikanth, however has a good amount of experience of playing in finals and his 2014 China Super Series Premier and 2015 India Super Series triumphs speak volumes about his talent and the composure he holds in the big matches he has featured in.
And he dominated the first game in the match where he got the better of Praneeth. But the latter wouldn’t go down easily as he fought back hard and came back to win the second and the third games and win the final to register his fifth victory against Srikanth. Praneeth won the intense contest by a 21-17, 17-21 and 21-12 margin.
And the joy of having achieved a personal milestone did not make Praneeth forget the fact that in the end, it was Indian badminton, which was the ultimate victor. He handed over an Indian flag to compatriot Srikanth, consoled him and celebrated with him and it is actions like these at such historical occasions that speak volumes of how a true champion should be.
(With inputs from India.com and Sportskeeda)