2019 BWF World Championships: Kidambi Srikanth seeks to find mojo again

The 2019 BWF World Championships in Basel, Switzerland, from Monday is the tournament for India's best men's singles shuttler Kidambi Srikanth to redeem his career.

A lot of hopes are pinned on the former world No. 1, though for a brief period in April 2018, who has had an awful 2019 so far.

The world No. 10 enters his fifth World Championships as the seventh seed and is set to face Ireland's Vietnam-born Nhat Nguyen on Monday, the same player against whom he opened his 2018 Worlds in Nanjing, China, winning in straight games in what was their first and only head-to-head in the international circuit.

Barring the India Open in which the 26-year-old Srikanth entered the final, only to lose to Denmark's Viktor Axelsen, Srikanth has been way below his capabilities. He has not gone beyond the quarterfinal stage of major tournaments this year. He bowed out in the last-eight round in five of his first six tournaments in this year's first four months.

His most recent tournaments in Indonesia, Japan and Thailand Opens last month saw him exit in the second round in two and first round in the other.

But, Srikanth is too good a player to be giving such dismal shows. Perhaps, he is reserving his best for the World Championships, where in his previous four participations – in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 – his best have been, again, the pre-quarterfinal losses in 2014, 2015 and 2018, and a quarterfinal finish in 2017.

Former chief national coach U Vimal Kumar, who has recommended for the Dronacharya award, told DNA that the current phase in singles in which not just Srikanth but others too in both men and women is a low one in Indian badminton. "This low phase has been for too long," Vimal told DNA from Bengaluru.

"Srikanth has not done anything in the last 1-2 years really of note. Anyway, he is still in the top 10. Let's see if he can find his form in the World Championships. It is really required. He could not capitalise on the tournaments in July and perhaps he may have been short of match practice going into the Worlds."

First aim: Quarterfinals

Even Srikanth realises that he needs to pull up his socks and hit the right straps in the Worlds. What's encouraging is that he will be up against the Ireland player Nguyen, who is ranked way below at 81. It must be a smooth sailing for Srikanth as he takes lesser-known players in the first three rounds. The toughest he is likely to face is in the quarterfinal when he is drawn to face world No. 2 and second seeded Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei, winner of last month's Indonesia and Thailand Opens.

The first hurdle Srikanth will look to cross is the quarterfinals, something that has been a barrier for him not only this year but also in his last three tournaments of 2018. In recent times, apart from India Open 2019, the previous time he went beyond the quarterfinals was in the Denmark Open last October, losing in the semifinals.

Vimal stressed: "Srikanth definitely needs to find form. It has nothing to do with his injuries, they were a long time ago. Basically, he needs to apply himself, get his confidence back and play the right game. That is not happening. He seems lost. There's no thinking happening, he is just going through the motions."

Vimal believed that the chief national coach Pullela Gopichand must have addressed Srikanth's issues. "Am sure Gopi must be talking to him, or if he is working with the Korean coaches. Gopi has a big job. He needs to ensure Srikanth finds the right motivation, which is not easy when you go through a bad patch for such a long time. If Srikanth plays to his potential, can beat anybody. He has proved. Hopefully he clicks," Vimal sincerely wished.

Even the entire nation hopes that Srikanth clicks and get back the form that he had in 2017, when he equalled a record for winning four Superseries titles in a calendar year. Perhaps, Srikanth is still missing the Indonesian coach Mulyo Handoyo, who left the Indian badminton in early 2018. "Srikanth did really well under Mulyo Hondoyo," said Vimal.

'Srikanth needs to prioritise'

Two-time Olympian and former national champion Dipankar Bhattacharjee was equally concerned with Srikanth's dip in form.

Bhattacharjee, a contemporary of Gopichand and now himself a coach who has set out on an ambitious mission of seeing his trainees at the podium in the 2024 Olympics, said: "Srikanth is at a stage where he should target Olympic gold and select major tournaments. He has to prioritise his tournaments."

The 47-year-old Bhattacharjee explained: "World over, all strong badminton playing nations prepare for the important events like the Worlds, Olympics and the All England. They have depth of players and send their players to various tournaments. But, one player does not play in all the tournaments.

"He should play in a couple of tournaments, take rest, train and come back strong. He does it in a cyclic manner. Recovery is as important with the kind of schedule they have. Of course, there's pressure from BWF and sponsors for all the top players to play in all the tournaments.

"Perhaps, that's what has happened with Srikanth. He has been playing in too many tournaments," he added.

Bhattacharjee gave the example of Chinese great Lin Dan, five-time World Championships and two-time Olympics winner.

"How was Lin Dan sustaining? He appears in tournaments but doesn't mind losing in smaller ones. That way, he has fulfilled his obligations with BWF by appearing in tournaments. And, in big tournaments, he peaks. No human can peak in all the tournaments," he said.

Bhattacharjee, who participated in the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympics, said: "I know it is easier said than done. But he has to do it. Same goes for others also. They need to strategise well."

Sindhu-Saina set for SF duel

Meanwhile, world Nos. 5 and 8, PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, will look to improve the colour of their best World Championships medals – silver – in the women's singles.

However, only one of them will have the chance to do it. For, Sindhu – silver medallist in 2017 and 2018, and bronze in 2013 and 2014 – and Saina – silver in 2015 and bronze in 2017 – are drawn in the bottom half and could face each other in the semifinals.

Both Sindhu and Saina have got first-round byes.

The Indian shuttlers would be ruing the fact that medal hope, men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who created history by being the first Indian duo to win a Superseries title in Thailand recently, have withdrawn due to injuries. Satwik has shoulder injury and Chirag, abdominal strain.

But the Indian contingent can draw big confidence from their triumph against all odds.

PLAYING TODAY (Indians only, 1st round)

• Men's singles: Nhat Nguyen (IRL) vs 7-Kidambi Srikanth, Loh Kean Yew (SIN) vs 10-Sameer Verma, 16-B Sai Praneeth vs Jason Anthony Ho-Shue (CAN), HS Prannoy vs Eetu Heino (FIN)
   
• Women's doubles: Jakkampudi Meghana/ Poorvisha S Ram vs Diana Corleto Soto/ Nikte Alejandra Sotomayor (GUA)

SRIKANTH'S PREVIOUS WORLDS RESULT:

• Pre-quarterfinalist, 2018 in Nanjing, China
   
• Quarterfinalist, 2017 in Glasgow, Scotland
   
• Pre-quarterfinalist, 2015 in Jakarta, Indonesia
   
• Pre-quarterfinalist, 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark