Commonwealth Games: Kidambi’s unexpected loss takes away India’s challenge from mixed team badminton final-Sports News , Firstpost

Birmingham: Armed with a bunch of fresh faces and a couple of experienced doubles pairs, Malaysia avenged their 2018 Commonwealth Games defeat at the hands of India with a superb 3-1 win in the mixed team badminton final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Malaysia, winners of the Commonwealth Games gold in 2006, 2010 and 2014 had lost to India in 2018. On Tuesday they regained the gold with a comprehensive display at the NEC Badminton Hall in Birmingham.

India’s sole point came from World No. 7, PV Sindhu, who, too, had to fight hard, especially in the first game, to beat Jin Wei Goh, ranked 60th in the world. Goh, who also had a 21 centimetres disadvantage in height put up a great show before losing 20-22, 17-21.

Even though India lost their opening match, the men’s doubles, the big blow really came in the form of Kidambi Srikanth’s loss to a much lower-ranked player in the men’s singles.

India’s hopes of gold lay in winning both the singles and then snatching away one of the three doubles, as they did in 2018. Srikanth’s loss meant the final mixed doubles pairing of Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponappa could not repeat their heroics of 2018 after the same Srikanth beat Lee Chong Wei and Saina Nehwal beat Soniia Cheah at Gold Coast.

Commonwealth Games: India schedule, Results, Medals tally

Former World No. 1 Srikanth was never in control even though he won the second game 21-6 as World No. 42 Ng Tze Yong notched up one of the best wins of his career.

The Malaysian was himself stunned at what was one of the best wins of his career. “I did not expect to win, but the crowd pulled me on. I am happy to get that point for Malaysia,” said Tze Yong.

After winning the opening doubles and the men’s singles, the winning point for Malaysia came from another new pairing, Thinnah Muralitharan and Koong Le Pearly Tan, ranked No. 11 in the world. They beat another Commonwealth Games debutant pairing, Gayatri Gopichand, daughter of India’s badminton legend, Pullela Gopichand, and Treesa Jolly. The Malaysians won 21-18, 21-17.

Interestingly Malaysia did not bring their No. 1 player, the World No. 5 Lee Zii Jia, the 2021 All England winner. Instead, they brought in a younger Tze Yong, who delivered perfectly with a display that left Srikanth in tatters.

Earlier, Malaysia got off to a superb start, as their World No. 6 men’s doubles pair and bronze medallists from the Tokyo Olympics, Aaron Chia and Soh Woo Yik, beating Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in straight games 21-18, 21-15. The Indians are one spot lower in world rankings than the Malaysian pair. It was a match that was even closer than what the scores indicated.

All those who thought Sindhu, ranked No. 7 in the world, would have it easy against Goh were in for a surprise. Sindhu started in a manner that suggested a one-sided clash against Goh.

Sindhu was going great guns at 11-6 and even had a 7-point lead at one stage. Then it was 18-12, before Goh started her fightback. Goh played flatter and gave Sindhu fewer opportunities to smash and stretched the Indian with sharp drops from all around. Sindhu seemed to be in a bother, especially on the backhand close to the net.

Goh pulled back to 18-all and then saved a game point to make it 20-all. But at the crucial stage, Sindhu once again smashed her way through and won the first game 22-20.

In the second game, the two were neck and neck till Sindhu went 11-7 up at the interval. Once again Sindhu moved up to 18-12 as in the first game. Goh won two points to make it 14-18. Sindhu got to a match point at 20-15 before a fighting Goh took more to make it 17-20. Finally, she fell flat as she went all out, but Sindhu made her stretch this time as the Malaysian fell flat and left the entire court for Sindhu to safely place the shuttle and win 22-20, 21-17.

In men’s singles, Tze Yong kept hanging in the first game before pulling away 21-19 in the first game. Srikanth seemed to have found some answers and his own rhythm in the second, which he won 21-6. But in the decider, Tze pulled away after the interval to set up a bunch of match points at 20-15 and finally won 21-16.

The clearly exhausted Tze Yong’s spirits were boosted by the energetic crowd as he summoned amazing inner energy and played his heart out, just as their women’s singles, player Jin Wei Goh, had fought till the very last.

Sindhu had still managed to quell Goh but Tze Yong got the better of Srikanth. And with his loss, India’s chances of the gold, too evaporated.

The last match between Kian Mang Tan and Pei Lai and Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Ashini Ponappa was not needed.

Results:

Malaysia beat India 3-1

Aaron Chia and Soh Woo Yik bt Satwik Sairaj and Chirag Shetty 21-18, 21-15

Jin Wei Goh lost to PV Sindhu 20-22, 17-21

Kidambi Srikanth lost to Ng Tze Yong 19-21, 21-6, 16-21

Treesa Jolly / Gayatri Gopichand lost to Tinnah Muralitharan / Koong Le Pearly Tan 18-21, 21-17.

Satwik Sairaj / Ashwini Ponappa v Kian Meng Tan / Pei Jing – not played.

Click here for our complete coverage of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

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