Malaysia Masters — Srikanth enters first final in six years, beats Yushi Tanaka

Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth stormed into his first men’s singles final of a BWF event in six years with a straight-game win over Japan’s Yushi Tanaka at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 badminton tournament here on Saturday.

The 32-year-old, a 2023 World Championships silver medallist, dished out a superlative game showing glimpses of his vintage self with sharp net play and attacking flair to outwit World No. 23 Tanaka 21-18, 24-22 in a thrilling contest.

This is Srikanth’s first final appearance on the BWF World Tour since finishing runner-up at the 2019 India Open. He last won four titles back in 2017.

A former World No.1 , Srikanth, who has slumped to 65th in the rankings now, has endured a rough patch over the past few seasons due to form and fitness.