For a nation with two men’s All-England champions, Indian badminton in the last few years had been all about women power. On Sunday, it was the best of both worlds as rising star, Kidambi Srikanth, and Saina Nehwal, reinventing her game after literally running into the Chinese wall, both triumphed at the China Open in Fuzhou.
Srikanth, 21, sensationally toppled his idol, Lin Dan, in straight games (21-19, 21-17). The twice Olympic champion is on the mend after injury, but the Indian’s tactics left ‘Super Dan’ frustrated as he was fed little to smash with Srikanth also slowing down things and confidently smashing to the flanks. The triumph was the first by an Indian since the Super Series was introduced.
Saina’s second Super Series title of 2014 — she won the Australian Open — was her first at China Open after many attempts in her chief rivals’ den. She outlasted Japan’s 19-year-old former world junior champion, Akane Yamaguchi, 21-12, 22-20 before Srikanth took to the court. It was a perfect gift from his trainee for national coach, Pullela Gopichand, on his birthday. “It was a big match, and he kept his nerves to earn the big win… He will not grow into a super star overnight. He has to be smart and progress like he’s now, and that’s the way it is,” he told IANS.
Srikanth had been a picture of consistency, winning the Thailand Open last year and the nationals before finishing runner-up in the Indian Open in Lucknow in January. However, he
was down with meningitis in June. Sunday’s win showed the world No 16 is back to his best. It was Lin Dan’s first defeat in a final since the 2012 Korean Open.
Saina defeated three Chinese rivals on the way. Yamaguchi’s ability to engage in long rallies --she had downed China’s Shixian Wang, Sun Yu and Korea’s Beo Yeon Ju all in straight games --was a big test. The London bronze medallist didn’t let the teenager prolong the points in the first game. In the second, there were many rallies and she faced a game point. But Saina overcame that with a superb service return before winning a long rally.
She had moved out of Gopichand’s academy before the Asian Games, to train under Vimal Kumar and find fresh momentum. Vimal Kumar said: “We know her work ethic, but we were trying variations as her game was either becoming one-paced or she was trying to hit through her opponents. The Chinese had started reading her game well. So, our focus on bringing in more deception is paying off. Now, she can improve her fitness too.”
Srikanth, 21, sensationally toppled his idol, Lin Dan, in straight games (21-19, 21-17). The twice Olympic champion is on the mend after injury, but the Indian’s tactics left ‘Super Dan’ frustrated as he was fed little to smash with Srikanth also slowing down things and confidently smashing to the flanks. The triumph was the first by an Indian since the Super Series was introduced.
Saina’s second Super Series title of 2014 — she won the Australian Open — was her first at China Open after many attempts in her chief rivals’ den. She outlasted Japan’s 19-year-old former world junior champion, Akane Yamaguchi, 21-12, 22-20 before Srikanth took to the court. It was a perfect gift from his trainee for national coach, Pullela Gopichand, on his birthday. “It was a big match, and he kept his nerves to earn the big win… He will not grow into a super star overnight. He has to be smart and progress like he’s now, and that’s the way it is,” he told IANS.
Srikanth had been a picture of consistency, winning the Thailand Open last year and the nationals before finishing runner-up in the Indian Open in Lucknow in January. However, he
was down with meningitis in June. Sunday’s win showed the world No 16 is back to his best. It was Lin Dan’s first defeat in a final since the 2012 Korean Open.
Saina defeated three Chinese rivals on the way. Yamaguchi’s ability to engage in long rallies --she had downed China’s Shixian Wang, Sun Yu and Korea’s Beo Yeon Ju all in straight games --was a big test. The London bronze medallist didn’t let the teenager prolong the points in the first game. In the second, there were many rallies and she faced a game point. But Saina overcame that with a superb service return before winning a long rally.
She had moved out of Gopichand’s academy before the Asian Games, to train under Vimal Kumar and find fresh momentum. Vimal Kumar said: “We know her work ethic, but we were trying variations as her game was either becoming one-paced or she was trying to hit through her opponents. The Chinese had started reading her game well. So, our focus on bringing in more deception is paying off. Now, she can improve her fitness too.”
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