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What’s the story?
The $150,000 Syed Modi International Badminton Championships 2018, that has begun in Lucknow, India on Tuesday, lost some more sheen as the men’s singles top seed Kidambi Srikanth pulled out of the tournament a day before it started. Srikanth’s withdrawal comes on the heels of PV Sindhu’s decision not to defend her 2017 title.
Citing injury concerns, the World No. 8 announced on his social media account that the year has now come to an end for him.
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Srikanth was the winner of this tournament in 2016. After reaching the final twice in 2014 and 2015, he was finally successful on his third attempt when he beat Huang Yuxiang in three games to grab the title.
The heart of the matter
The hectic scheduling had an adverse effect on the top Indian shuttlers with most of them being unable to produce consistent performances this year. Srikanth, especially, suffered a lot. A year after having his career-best season that saw him win four Superseries titles, the 25-year-old Pullela Gopichand protégé failed to win any title in 2018.
That said, Srikanth did look to have recovered from niggling injuries post the Asian Games and was attempting to build some form, reaching one semi-final and five quarter-finals.
Having played six elite tournaments in the last couple of months, Srikanth perhaps does not want to overburden himself any further with the new season about to begin in less than two months’ time.
India’s Siddharath Thakur has now replaced the Guntur-born ace in the men’s singles draw.
Earlier, Sindhu opted to skip the tournament in order to rest and prepare for the year-ending BWF World Tour Finals, where she is most likely to qualify.
In the absence of Srikanth and Sindhu, two-time champion Saina Nehwal is now the biggest Indian star left in the draw.
What’s next?
Srikanth will next be seen in action at the fourth edition of the Premier Badminton League (PBL), which begins on December 22. He is a part of the Bengaluru Raptors team.
Do you think Srikanth has taken the right decision to end his 2018 season? Do share with us your thoughts in the comments section below.
