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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Revanth Reddy slams BJP over 'Congress-mukt Bharat' sloganHyderabad, Feb 21 (PTI) Telangana Chief Mi
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday asserted that money is not a priority for Gandhi-Nehru family, saying if the Congress workers pooled funds, they could raise atleast Rs 10,000 crores for the family.
Addressing a training programme organised at Vikarabad near here by AICC for District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, he accused the BJP of "insulting" Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi by levelling allegations of corruption against them.
He also said the family had sacrificed three generations for the nation.
"Along with Congress, if there is any party which has a history of 100 years in the country, it is the CPI. All others came into existence as political parties on the basis of freedom we secured, the Constitution we gave and after we (Congress) strengthened the country. Now, they are becoming dangerous parties by giving the slogan of 'Congress-mukt Bharat."
Describing the Congress as the "soul of India", he said parties like BJP are trying to weaken its legacy.
Questioning the corruption charges against the Gandhi-Nehru family, the CM asked, "Is money a priority for the Gandhi family which sacrificed three generations for the sake of the country?"
According to him, Congress workers in Telangana alone could mobilise Rs 1,000 crores if they chose to do so.
He alleged a conspiracy to silence the Gandhi-Nehru family, claiming that it repesents the Dalits, STs and minorities.
Reddy urged Congress leaders and workers to counter such attempts.
Referring to the freedom movement, he said while the Britishers did not take extreme action against Mahatma Gandhi, those with the ideology that BJP inherited took the life of Father of the Nation soon after Independence.
Highlighting the contributions of Nehru family to the country, he said, "Motilal Nehru donated assets worth thousands of crores to the country and Jawaharlal Nehru spent 10 years in jail" during freedom struggle, while former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives.
Though Rahul Gandhi inherited such a great legacy, he undertook a 'padayatra' across the nation, Reddy said.
He also said party workers who remained loyal when the Congress was in the opposition have been rewarded with nominated posts and MLA tickets after it came to power.
"You may feel that nobody is observing you. You may feel you will get (ticket to contest) in some quota if you take the support of a leader just before elections. But, there are no quotas now. Only merit quota is there in Congress," he said.
Reddy also urged the DCC presidents to treat their positions with utmost respect, avoid lobbying for various things and focus on people's welfare.
