Happy with the way I played today: Kidambi Srikanth

The Indians have started off their Nanjing campaign in the Badminton World Championships on a pretty successful note with no major upsets recorded. World No. 6 Kidambi Srikanth set off on his quest for a men's BWF title win after a long 35-year drought and got rewarded early into his pursuit. Srikanth went up against little-known Irish boy Nhat Nguyen. The Guntur boy took just 37 minutes to outplay the Irish lad in just 21-15,21-16. This swift win over Nguyen gave Srikanth a welcome entry into the 2nd Round where he'll lock horns with Pablo Abian of Spain. https://twitter.com/TheBridge_IN/status/1024152633332969472 In an after match interview, Srikanth admitted

, "It's been a good game for me. Just happy with the way I played today." However, the Guntur boy admits facing a few difficulties in Round 1 in adjusting to the match conditions in Nanjing. "I really felt a lot of difference in these conditions and the practice conditions. I really had to take some time to adjust to the match conditions. I think I'll get better in the second round. " Elaborating on the issue, Srikanth said, "It was much slower when we played a couple of days back. But today there was a lot of drift...not too much of air...on one side it's fast, and on another side it's slow. A lot many things to get adjusted too. " Srikanth's form has slumped of late without any recent final breakthroughs to his name apart from the Commonwealth Games. But the 25-year-old wants to take it "match-by-match" and still has that streak in him to end the 35-year drought for men's badminton at the BWF Championships. Furthering his win chances is the fact that Malaysian great and second seed Lee Chong Wei pulled out on the eve of the tournament owing to an untimely respiratory illness.  Ahead of Pablo Abian in the second round, the hurdle of facing a Brice Leverdez and a Wang Tzu Wei for the quarters is most probable. Entry into the semis of the tournament will ensure a bronze win for the fifth-seeded Indian. Ahead of him lies the Spanish challenge of Pablo Abian and Srikanth who has always shied away from hogging the limelight excitedly says, " It's going to be a tough game, and I am looking forward to it." Srikanth is in top class form again, and he should have it easy in the next round! Who knows if he can get to win the favour of Lady Luck and win gold for India at BWF! We just have to wait and watch!

---

Also read: What does one make of Kidambi Srikanth’s repeated losses?