Sindhu, Srikanth trip up in semis
New Delhi, June 30: P. V. Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth lost their singles semi- finals the $ 700,000 Malaysia Open Super World Tour 750 tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
Srikanth failed to match the guiles of former world no. 2 Japanese Kento Momota, who has been in sensational form since making a comeback after serving a one year ban for illegal gambling.
Sindhu went down to defending champion and world no. 1 Tai Tzu Ying.
Srikanth lost 13- 21, 13- 21 to world no. 11 Momota, who registered his 21st consecutive win, while Sindhu’s fight ended with a 15- 21, 21- 19 11- 21 loss to the Chinese Taipei player in a 55- minute match.
It was Srikanth’s sixth defeat to Momota in nine meetings, while Sindhu has now lost nine times to Tai Tzu, this being her fifth successive reverse.
Tai Tzu Ying set up a final clash against China’s He Bingjiao, who saw off Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon 21- 17, 21- 17.
LEE VS MOMOTA IN MEN’S FINAL Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei set up a final clash against Japan’s Kento Momota after an easy 21- 18, 21- 15 victory over Indonesia’s
Tommy Sugiarto in the semis.
The triumph meant Lee, 35, extended his win ratio against Sugiarto to 17- 0 following the 53- minute victory. Lee has won the Malaysia Open 11 times, and a win on Sunday would cement his status as the most successful player in the tournament.
But the world number six faces a tough task against the powerful Momota, who is unbeaten in 21 matches and needed just 42 minutes to see off Srikanth.