NEW DELHI: Veteran Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth kept his campaign alive at the Canada Open Super 300 with a gritty three-game win over compatriot Priyanshu Rajawat in the opening round of the men’s singles on Wednesday. However, young prospect Ayush Shetty suffered an early exit after losing to Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian.
Srikanth, the 2021 World Championships silver medallist, showed great composure and resilience to bounce back after dropping the first game. He eventually prevailed 18-21, 21-19, 21-14 in a pulsating 53-minute encounter, securing a spot in the second round.
The clash between Srikanth and Rajawat was intense and evenly matched for much of the duration. The two training partners had met twice before, with Rajawat emerging victorious on both occasions — including straight-game wins at the German Open and Australian Open.
In Wednesday’s encounter, the opening game saw both players trading points from 6-6 to 17-17 before Rajawat edged ahead to claim the lead. Srikanth was under pressure again early in the second game but recovered well, equalising at 9-9 and gaining momentum to push ahead 12-9. Despite Rajawat staying in contention until 18-18, Srikanth held his nerve to force a deciding third game.
In the final game, Srikanth maintained a slim lead for most of the time. While Rajawat managed to level at 14-14, the experienced campaigner turned on the heat, winning seven consecutive points to close out the match emphatically.
Meanwhile, in another men’s singles tie, Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian delivered a strong performance to eliminate fifth-seeded Ayush Shetty in straight games. Sankar won 23-21, 21-12 in just 44 minutes, moving into the next round with confidence.
With Srikanth advancing and several Indian shuttlers still in action, India will look to build momentum in the coming rounds of the Canada Open.
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