New Delhi: Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth powered his way into the men’s singles quarterfinals of the Canada Open Super 300 tournament with a confident straight-game victory over Wang Po-Wei of Chinese Taipei on Thursday.
The 2021 World Championships silver medallist and a crucial part of India’s historic 2022 Thomas Cup-winning squad, Srikanth produced a clinical performance to dispatch the world No. 71 with a 21-19, 21-12 scoreline.
Despite a shaky start in the opening game, where he trailed 5-11 at the mid-game interval, Srikanth dug deep to mount a comeback. Leveling the score at 18-all, the world No. 49 held his nerve to win three of the next four points and clinch the first game 21-19.
Wang once again started strong in the second game, racing to a 6-1 lead, but Srikanth responded with a seven-point blitz to turn the tide. Although Wang briefly reclaimed a 13-10 lead, Srikanth shifted gears with a nine-point unanswered streak to close the match in emphatic fashion.
The commanding win showcases Srikanth’s renewed form, coming on the heels of his runner-up finish at the Malaysia Masters earlier this year.
With the victory, Srikanth has now booked a high-stakes quarterfinal clash against top seed Chou Tien Chen, also from Chinese Taipei. The encounter is expected to be a stern test for the Indian ace as he eyes a deep run in the tournament.
Srikanth’s performance will be closely watched as he looks to climb back into the top tier of world badminton with consistent results on the BWF World Tour.
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