Now, Srikanth eyes No.1 spot
Saina Nehwal’s recent success has made her the toast of the nation. Following her, world no. 4 K. Srikanth is also taking giant strides in the men’s singles. The 22-year-old’s performances over the past few months — the latest one being the India Open badminton where he lifted his second Super Series crown here on Sunday — was evident to it. From a shy youngster to a World No.5 shuttler, Srikanth had matured as a player both mentally and physically. And on Sunday, he admitted he faces his opponents without any fear.
“I am more confident now. I don’t think of winning all the time. I just want to play my best and that’s the reason I don’t fear anymore,” said the lad from Guntur, who rose into the international scene after his Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold title win in 2013.
When asked if the World No.1 ranking is also crossing his mind, Srikanth said: “I always had that thing in my mind. It is good to be on top of the world. I don’t get to one after this victory but if i keep continue playing well then one day definitely I will be there. Every win is important to me, every win motivates me. I want to keep winning”
National coach Pullela Gopichand was all praise for his ward Srikanth, saying he is one of the ‘most versatile players in the circuit’.
“Srikanth is the most complete players as well, but there are areas as well to be worked on. As you could see today, his tosses were a bit sloppy which gave his opponent a lot of time to attack, so this is one of the areas to be looked at,” said the former All England champion.