Badminton News: India's top player Kidambi Srikanth's poor form continued as he lost in straight matches to world and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in the opening men's singles match at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open tournament Super 750 Wednesday.

Kidambi Srikanth squandered a 14-5 lead in the second match after losing the opening match to lose 14-21, 19-21 to the world No. 1, leaving the enthusiastic fans at the IG Stadium disappointed.

With the crowd cheering, Srikanth, the former world number one, began to dominate the rally, eliminating Axelsen's mistakes. The Indian attempted to throw his opponent forward, using his punches to move the big Dane.

However, Axelsen came from behind at 8-8 and then, with a round header, took a three-point lead at the break.

At 13-9, Axelsen made a rare service error before another shot headed toward the net. Srikanth tried to stage rallies but often made mistakes in his finishes. The Dane finally sealed the opener after Srikanth missed his chance twice.

Srikanth struck early after the final change, using his smash well, to take a 5-1 lead. Two tight smashes from each side helped the Indian maintain his lead at 8-3 before entering the break with a seven-point lead over Axelsen.

Srikanth did not let his intensity drop after regaining a 14-6 lead. However, Axelsen regained his position just in time and the Indian suddenly made a series of unforced errors to allow his rival to narrow the gap to 13-15.

He fumbled the line and went to the net several times as soon as the score was 17-16. Another clear error helped Axelsen tie the score at 18-18. Luck also seemed to have deserted him as his returns bounced back.

Axelsen immediately grabbed two match points, then made a direct return to the front court to raise his arms in celebration.

Article Tag: Kidambi Srikanth, Viktor Axelsen, Indian Open 2023