Kolkata: Kidambi Srikanth stormed his way into the Australian Super Series Final defeating world No. 4 Shi Yuqi in straight sets in just 37 minutes on Saturday.
The 24-year-old Indian defeated the Chinese Star 21-10 21-14 in the first semi-final and will face the winner Olympic champion Chen Long who went past Lee Hyun II 26-24, 15-21, 21-17.
Srikanth usually known for his attacking prowess showed extreme confidence and maturity in net play to put aside the Chinese star in the game in which was thoroughly dominated by the Indian.
By reaching the Australian Super Series Final, Srikanth also becomes the first Indian and only the sixth men’s singles player to reach three consecutive finals. “Yes, it’s a dream performance,” said Srikanth.
“I played a world superseries final ( Singapore open) after two years and then to play the next two finals in a dream for sure,” he added.
On the final against Chen Long, he said, “I have no thoughts about the final, no thoughts about winning or losing. (If it is Chen Long) I’ve played him four or five times. Most times it was close. I played him twice this year, I lost 21-19 or so.”