Syed Modi International: Treesa-Gayatri defend women's title, Srikanth suffers heartbreak
Lucknow (PTI): The Indian pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand retained the women's doubles crown but Kidambi Srikanth's hopes of snapping an eight-year title drought went up in smoke as he suffered a heartbreaking loss in the final of the Syed Modi International Super 300 here Sunday.
Former winner Srikanth, a 2021 world championships silver medallist, went down 16-21 21-8 20-22 to world No. 59 Jason Gunawan of Hong Kong in a 67-minute thriller.
The 32-year-old last won a title in 2017 at the French Open and came close earlier this year, finishing runner-up at the Malaysia Masters Super 500.
Defending champions Treesa and Gayatri, however, produced an attacking masterclass to rally from a game down and outwit the world No. 35 pair of Japan's Kaho Osawa and Mai Tanabe 17-21 21-13 21-15 in a pulsating one hour and 16-minute final.
"We were prepared for a long match, we knew the match would go on for an hour at least because the opponents are Japanese. First set was not that great but we changed strategy and there was lot of attacking rallies and it all worked," Gayatri said.
They were playing only their second event since Gayatri's return from a five-month shoulder injury layoff.
"I hadn't played a lot in last few months, so this tournament is a big boost for me for the season ahead, so I am very happy," said Gayatri, adding that World Tour events in Malaysia and India are the next targets.
Srikanth vs Gunawan
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Gunawan started strongly, moving 4-1 ahead and going into the break with a three-point lead. Errors crept into the Indian's game as his lifts floated long, helping Gunawan move to 14-10.
Srikanth replied with crisp smashes but the Hong Kong shuttler stayed sharp, surging to 17-11 with a straight winner. Srikanth saved three game points before Gunawan sealed the opener.
Switching sides brought a renewed Srikanth, who injected pace and produced razor-sharp smashes and superb retrieves to race to 6-1. Though Gunawan broke the run, Srikanth maintained pressure to lead 11-4 and earned 13 game points, converting on the second.
The decider saw Srikanth lead 5-1 before a jaw-dropping retrieval helped Gunawan narrow it to 4-5 and then 6-5. Srikanth edged ahead 11-10 at the interval.
After resumption, he moved to 14-11, but Gunawan fought back to 14-14. The pair traded points to 19-19 before Gunawan sealed the match at 22-20 with a jump smash and an attacking return.
"99.9% it was a good event for me," said Srikanth.
"At 20-all, you can't say much. If one or two shots had fallen inside, things could have been different. Jason played really well. The last few points are always close. At 19-19, I smashed out, so it could have gone either way. It was just a matter of a few points here and there."
"I have worked a lot on a lot of things, it is difficult to make a comeback from injuries, my coaches Gopi bhaiya, Guru, physical strengthening coach, trainer, it is going ell, just have to work on a few little things," Srikanth said.
Treesa-Gayatri show class
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The women's doubles final began with a breathtaking 49-shot rally, setting the tone for a high-intensity contest as both pairs fought tooth and nail before Osawa and Tanabe edged ahead 6-3. A couple of sharp smashes from Treesa pulled the Indians level but the Japanese regrouped to take a slender lead at the interval.
They maintained their hold to stretch it to 18-15 before grabbing five game points. Treesa and Gayatri saved two, but Tanabe closed out the opener with a smash.
Switching sides brought a momentum shift as the Indians found their rhythm and showed excellent anticipation to surge to 9-2 before holding an 11-5 advantage at the break, bolstered by another booming Treesa smash from the backcourt.
Treesa and Gayatri continued to dictate the rallies, marching to 17-9. Treesa's quick racquet speed and sharp movement allowed her to rain down attacking returns as the Indians forced a decider.
In the third game, the Indians moved to 7-4 before miscommunication cost them a few points. But sharp net interceptions restored control, and a deceptive net shot from Treesa followed by another well-constructed point gave them a six-point cushion at the interval.
Osawa and Tanabe narrowed the deficit to 12-14, and later 13-15, but a fired up Treesa produced another disguised net shot, and Gayatri unleashed a sharp smash as the Indians closed in on the title.
A delicate drop from Treesa, and a wide shot from the Japanese handed India six match points, and they converted on the second to retain the crown.
"When we started playing together, coordination was an issue, but now we are all-round players -- me and Gayatri can play anywhere. Our rotation was good, and it was on display today," Treesa said.
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'Ab kya hoga, ye rab jane...': Tharoor takes dig at failed US-Iran talks in Pakistan
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New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday took a swipe at the "failed" US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan with an Urdu couplet, saying only god knows now what will happen.
"Ab kya hoga, ye rab jane; Na woh mane, na ye mane (only god knows what will happen now as both sides did not agree)," Tharoor said on X, tagging a post-talks video clip of US Vice President J D Vance, who led the American delegation at the negotiations in Islamabad.
The United States and Iran failed to reach a peace deal at their historic 21-hour talks in Pakistan, leaving the fate of a tenuous two-week ceasefire in doubt, with both sides attempting to hold each other responsible for the collapse of the negotiations.
अब क्या होगा, ये रब जाने
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 13, 2026
ना वो माने, ना ये माने https://t.co/DYrXpa7C8h
Vance said the Iranian side did not accept Washington's terms for ending the war even as the US presented its "final and best offer".
Hours after the talks collapsed, US President Donald Trump said on social media that the negotiations with Tehran failed as "Iran is unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions".
Trump said the US Navy will actively interdict any vessel in international waters found to have paid tolls to Iran for transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the head of the Iranian negotiation team, said it is for the US to decide whether it can "earn our trust or not".
The Iranian foreign ministry, without elaborating, said the US side resorted to "excessive" and "illegal demands".
The failure to reach an agreement has dimmed the prospect of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to stabilise the global energy marke
