India's Kidambi Srikanth ended his campaign at the US Open Super 300 badminton tournament with a runner-up finish, losing 15-21, 21-16, 9-21 to Chinese Taipei's Su Li-yang in the men's singles final on Sunday in Fullerton, USA. The 33-year-old, a silver medalist at the 2021 World Championships, fought back after losing the first game but could not sustain the pace against the world number 46, who is nine years his junior.
Match overview
The match lasted just over an hour. Srikanth started quickly but an error—his racquet crossing the net during a rally—disrupted his rhythm, allowing Su to take a 7-2 lead. Srikanth regrouped to win eight of the next 11 points, leveling at 10-10 with powerful smashes. He edged ahead at the mid-game interval after Su smashed wide. However, Su regained control after the break, quickening the pace and using deception to force errors, extending his lead to 17-12. Srikanth reduced the deficit to 14-18 with a cross-court smash and net shot, but another error handed the initiative back. Su earned six game points with a thunderous smash; Srikanth saved one before sending the shuttle long, and Su closed the game in 17 minutes.
Second game: Srikanth forces decider
After the change of ends, the contest remained tight. From 4-4, Srikanth reeled off three straight points to lead 7-4, capping a rally with a superb cross-court block. Su fought back to 8-8, but a deft backhand cross-court net shot took Srikanth to 10-8, and he entered the interval with a three-point cushion after Su smashed wide. Su responded with two thunderous smashes, but Srikanth's net play maintained a 14-10 lead. Su broke the rhythm with a flat push to close to 13-15 as Srikanth sprayed two shots wide. Su then sent one long before Srikanth's cross-court return made it 18-13. Srikanth earned seven game points when Su went wide; although Su saved three, Srikanth forced the decider with a powerful down-the-line smash.
Deciding game: Su dominates
Su came out firing in the third game, opening with a lightning smash and putting Srikanth under sustained pressure to lead 4-1. Maintaining aggression and injecting greater pace, Su surged to 7-4 before another rocket smash made it 9-5. Srikanth alternated between brilliance and costly errors, often undoing his good work with loose shots. A judgment error on the baseline allowed Su to carry a four-point lead into the interval. Srikanth was then denied permission by the chair umpire to change his shirt, leaving him visibly upset. Su remained focused, widening the lead to 15-7 with aggressive play. Another pinpoint line-hugging winner and a net error from Srikanth extended Su's advantage to 18-8. Su earned 12 championship points after another wide return; Srikanth saved one before Su clinched his first BWF World Tour title.
Context and significance
This was Srikanth's first final of the season. He had also finished runner-up at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 and Syed Modi International Super 300 last year. The former world number one showed resilience but could not match the younger Su's intensity in the decider. According to tournament reports, Su's pace and deception proved decisive in the final stages.
