JOIN USOn April 16 this year, two on-court rivals and off-court buddies engaged in a historic battle at the Singapore Open Super Series. B Sai Praneeth entered a rarified league as he came back from a game down to defeat his younger opponent Kidambi Srikanth in an intense battle that lasted 55 minutes.
The two have been training at the Gopichand Badminton Academy since their formative years and would be familiar with each others’ games, and so the question was whether it was a special feeling to still outwit a friend.
But Praneeth insists that it was just another win. “It is a great win considering that it was a Super Series final but apart from that, winning is winning. It has never been about whom I beat.”
After a promising start to the year ending runner-up at the Syed Modi International Badminton Championship, Praneeth couldn’t quite keep his form going and failed to impress at the Indian Open as well as the Malaysia Open before roaring back in Singapore.
Injury problems
The 24-year-old attributes his failure at these tournaments to an injury he was carrying.
“After Syed Modi, I sustained an injury to my right shoulder due to which I had to give the All England Open and the Swiss Open a miss. But I was able to train during that time and that is what made the difference when I participated in the Singapore Open.”
His first Super Series victory has given the Hyderabad lad a lot of confidence.
“Apart from the fact that I have been working on my fitness very hard with our Indonesian coach Mulyo Handoyo, a triumph like this is a massive confidence boost,” he said.
“Earlier I used to restrict myself thinking that if I went all out from the first game, I wouldn’t have the endurance for three games. But things have changed now. If you have to succeed at the top level, you have to give it all from the start and keep that intensity,” he added.
Even his targets have changed now and with a chuckle, Praneeth says since he has got a taste of winning, he wants to continue in the same vein.
“Earlier, the target was performing well and going as far as I could in tournaments. But that has changed. Now the target is only winning.”
Praneeth said his main focus would be to do well at the World Championships in August this year.