PETALING JAYA: From once reaching the pinnacle of world badminton, former world No. 1 K. Srikanth now finds himself battling just to earn a place in the main draw of the Malaysian Masters.
The Indian shuttler had to dig deep in the qualifying rounds, first overcoming 2022 world junior champion Kuo Kuan-lin 21-8, 21-13, before returning just hours later to survive a gruelling three-game encounter against another Taiwanese player, Huang Yu-kai, winning 9-21, 21-12, 21-6.
One of the key setbacks behind the world championship silver medallist’s decline has been an ankle injury, which had a significant impact on his performances over the past year.
"Obviously, it’s tough to play two rounds in a single day. I’m not really used to it because I’ve been playing in the main draw for the past 12 to 14 years, so it’s a bit different and challenging. The level has also gone up significantly," said Srikanth.
"I couldn’t play any tournaments in the second half of last year, so I lost quite a lot of ranking points. Right now, I’m just trying to regain those points and climb back up the rankings.
"Physically, I feel fit. If I can continue playing more tournaments and get my ranking up, it should get a little easier. Once I’m back in the main draw, it’ll just be one match per day," said Srikanth.
But Srikanth is not fazed by the need to start from the bottom again, fully aware of the circumstances that led to his drop to world No. 65.
"Frankly, I’ve won a lot of tournaments and I’ve been world number one, so I’m not too bothered by all of this. I was dealing with an injury and my focus was on recovery. I wanted my body to be in good shape again, so I gave myself more time and now, I feel great.
“I’m just enjoying the game because I truly love playing badminton. I’m not chasing rankings or overthinking things. It’s just that in the second half of last year, I chose to give myself the time I needed to heal properly," he added.
Ironically, the injury woes have not only affected Srikanth but have also plagued almost the entire group of India’s elite men’s singles players, leading to a significant dip in their performances.
Still, Srikanth is not overly concerned. He remains confident that all his teammates will bounce back especially with India gearing up for a crucial mission next year to reclaim the Thomas Cup, following their stunning triumph in Bangkok in 2022.
"Unfortunately, I was injured last year. (HS) Prannoy also had an issue before the Olympics, Lakshya (Sen) picked up an injury at the start of this year, and Sameer (Verma) is still in recovery. It’s really unfortunate that all of us were sidelined around the same time. But we’re all working hard to make our comebacks, and giving it everything we’ve got.
"Obviously, if all of us can recover well and physically get better, I think we can once again form a very strong team. The next group of players are also doing well, so we certainly have the potential to do well next year. But the key is for all of us to be in good shape," he added.
Srikanth’s progress has ensured that India now has five representatives competing in the first round starting on Tuesday (May 21). Srikanth will face China’s Lu Guangzu, while Pranoy is set to take on Japan’s fifth seed, Kenta Nishimoto.
Ayush Shetty will go up against Canada’s Brian Yang, and Sathish Karunakaran faces a tough challenge against the tournament’s third seed, Chou Tien-chen from Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Priyanshu Rajawat will meet Singapore’s Jason Teh in the opening round.
