India signed off the Syed Modi International Super 300 with contrasting emotions on Sunday as Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand defended their women’s doubles crown in style, while Kidambi Srikanth’s long wait for a title stretched further after a three-game defeat in the men’s singles final.
The defending women’s doubles champions produced a determined comeback to topple Japan’s world No. 35 pairing of Kaho Osawa and Mai Tanabe 17-21, 21-13, 21-15 in a pulsating one hour and 16-minute contest. But for former champion Srikanth, the script remained agonisingly familiar. The 2021 world championships silver medallist went down 16-21, 21-8, 20-22 to Hong Kong’s world No. 59 Jason Gunawan in a gripping 67-minute final.
The defeat prolongs Srikanth’s eight-year title drought — his last crown came at the French Open in 2017. He had earlier come close to ending it at this year’s Malaysia Masters Super 500, finishing runner-up.
SRIKANTH’S HEARTBREAK IN THREE ACTS
Gunawan made a sharp start, racing to a 4-1 lead and heading into the opening-game interval three points ahead. Srikanth struggled to control his length, his lifts drifting long and gifting Gunawan a 14-10 cushion. Though the Indian responded with crisp winners, the Hong Kong shuttler maintained his grip to move to 17-11 and eventually pocketed the opener despite Srikanth saving three game points.
Switching sides brought a transformed Srikanth. Injecting pace and mixing razor-sharp smashes with superb retrievals, he bolted to a 6-1 start and held an 11-4 advantage. He earned 13 game points and converted in the second to force a decider.
The final game swung like a pendulum. Srikanth led 5-1, but a brilliant full-stretch retrieval from Gunawan sparked a comeback to 4-5 and then 6-5. The Indian nosed ahead 11-10 at the interval and later 14-11, but Gunawan clawed back to 14-14. At 19-19, the tension was palpable. Srikanth smashed wide, and moments later Gunawan sealed the biggest win of his career with a jump smash and a sharp attacking return.
“99.9% it was a good event for me,” Srikanth said afterwards. “At 20-all, you can’t say much. If one or two shots had fallen inside, things could have been different. Jason played really well. It was just a matter of a few points here and there.”
Reflecting on his long road back from injuries, he added: “I have worked a lot on a lot of things. It is difficult to make a comeback from injuries. My coaches — Gopi bhaiya, Guru, my trainer and physical strengthening coach — it is going well. Just have to work on a few little things.”
TREESA–GAYATRI SHOW STEEL-CLASS
Earlier, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand showcased their growing maturity and interplay, rallying brilliantly from a game down to retain the women’s doubles title — only their second event since Gayatri’s return from a five-month shoulder injury layoff.
The match opened with a lung-busting 49-shot rally, signalling the intensity to follow. Osawa and Tanabe edged ahead 6-3, and although Treesa’s sharp smashes pulled India level, the Japanese pair held a narrow 11-9 advantage at the interval. They extended it to 18-15 before earning five game points and sealing the opener despite the Indians saving two.
A switch of sides flipped the momentum instantly. Treesa and Gayatri found their rhythm, showing crisp anticipation and riding a burst of attacking play to jump to 9-2 and then 11-5. A booming Treesa smash underlined their dominance as they levelled the match, 21-13.
In the decider, the Indians led 7-4 before brief miscommunication cost them points, but smart net interceptions restored control. A delicate Treesa net shot and a well-constructed point gave them a six-point cushion at the break. Though the Japanese narrowed it to 13-15, Treesa’s disguised net play and Gayatri’s sharp smash pushed India to the finish line. A precise drop shot and a Japanese error handed the Indians six match points; they converted the second to close out a memorable defence.
“We were prepared for a long match we knew it would go on for an hour at least because the opponents are Japanese. First set was not that great, but we changed strategy and there were a lot of attacking rallies — it all worked,” Gayatri said.
Returning from injury, the win meant even more. “I hadn’t played a lot in the last few months, so this tournament is a big boost for me for the season ahead.”
Treesa credited their improved chemistry: “When we started playing together, coordination was an issue, but now we are all-round players. Our rotation was good, and it was on display today.”
– Ends
