Kidambi Srikanth loses to Tommy Sugiarto in Indonesian Masters Final

Kidambi Srikanth, who played some superb badminton in Indonesian Masters 2015, had to be content with a runners-up finish as he lost to home favourite and second seed Tommy Sugiarto on Sunday. The finals, which had all badminton fans on the edge of their seats in the final set, produced a thrilling contest with Sugiarto clinching it 17-21, 21-13 and 24-22.

Sugiarto should be congratulated for showing character as he came back strongly after losing the first set of the final. The match was keenly contested, with both shuttlers providing some amazing entertainment on the last match of the final day in Indonesia. The audience gathered in the stadium were treated to a major spectacle by the finalists on Sunday.

Srikanth, who started the game brilliantly, won the first set after some fine smashes and net play, with the score reading 21-17. Sugiarto took his game to another level in the second set and clinched it 21-13, which set up the title-deciding third set between the shuttlers.

Neither player was ready to concede an inch, as one witnessed some quality performances in the final set, which could have gone either way. Sugiarto, who was inching closer to victory in front of his home crowd, bravely faced Srikanth, who was not willing to give up as he came close to winning the title in the final set as well.

However Sugiarto, egged on by his home supporters, clinched the match with two back-to back points to win the set 24-22.

Despite Srikanth's loss to Sugiarto, this runners-up finish must have done wonders to his confidence as he prepares to battle it out with some elite shuttlers in the BWF World Super Series Finals, scheduled to start in Dubai from 9 December.

Primarily, all the top shuttlers from around the world had given the Indonesian Masters a miss, but Srikanth, who has been inconsistent this season, participated in the tournament, and now should have his self-belief back after his impressive performance in Indonesia.