Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth secured his first final appearance of the year at the US Open Badminton tournament in Fullerton, USA, on Saturday. The 33-year-old Indian shuttler defeated Japan's fourth seed Yudai Okimoto 22-20, 15-21, 21-19 in a hard-fought men's singles semifinal that lasted one hour and 12 minutes.
Semifinal Thriller
Srikanth showed great composure in the opening game, where Okimoto fought back from an 11-17 deficit to earn a game point. The Indian saved that point and won the next two to take the advantage. However, the Japanese shuttler forced a decider with a strong showing in the second game.
The final game followed a similar script to the first, with Srikanth opening up a 10-5 lead before Okimoto drew level at 12-12. Srikanth then grabbed six straight points to lead 18-12, but Okimoto responded with five consecutive points to make it 18-18. In the end, Srikanth relied on his experience to mix up the pace and close out the match.
Su Li Yang Awaits in Final
Srikanth will face Chinese Taipei's eighth seed Su Li Yang in the final. Su ended the dream run of India's Rounak Chouhan with a 21-17, 21-19 victory in the other semifinal. This will be a crucial match for Srikanth as he seeks his first title of the season.
Devika Sihag Falls in Women's Singles
In the women's singles semifinal, India's Devika Sihag could not sustain her momentum after winning the opening game against Denmark's second seed Line Christophersen. Sihag lost 15-21, 21-11, 21-15, bowing out of the tournament.
