Kidambi Srikanth displays admirable sportsmanship, refuses a point offered to him at US Open

Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth impressed the fans with his spirit of sportsmanship during his semifinal victory over Yudai Okimoto of Japan at the ongoing US Open badminton tournament on Sunday in California.

Srikanth displayed unmatched temperament and grit during the 72-minute semifinal duel against Okimoto at the Titan Gym. The 2021 world championships silver medallist emerged victorious in the high-stakes battle after recording a 22-20, 15-21, 21-19 win over the No. 33-ranked Japanese shuttler to advance to the final.

Srikanth's sportsmanship shines at US Open semifinal

The heartwarming moment took place in the deciding game when Srikanth delivered a return against Okimoto. The replay showed that the shuttle had landed just outside the zone, but the line judge did not rule it out.

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The Japanese shuttler was astonished by the ruling and requested a review from the chair umpire, which was denied. He went on to call the tournament referee, but that did not work out either.

Srikanth then stepped up to speak to the umpire, who eventually changed the decision after the talk with the Indian shuttler, while the fans cheered for the eventual winner.

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Srikanth, now ranked 38th, made a bright start, racing to a 9-5 lead before extending it to 17-10. But Okimoto staged a remarkable comeback, winning 10 of the next 12 points to earn a game point.

The 33-year-old Indian snapped out of his slumber just in time, reeling off the next three points to pocket the opening game.

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After the change of ends, Okimoto looked determined to force a decider. He controlled the rallies and stayed ahead for most of the game, taking a slender 11-9 lead at the interval before gradually pulling away to roar back into the contest.

In the decider, Srikanth rediscovered his mojo, opening up a 10-5 lead. But that advantage soon evaporated as Okimoto moved 13-12 ahead. The Indian then won six straight points to surge to 18-13.

The Japanese once again fought back to level the scores at 18-18, but Srikanth held his nerve to prevail in the end.

Srikanth, a former world No. 1, will meet World No 46 Su Li Yang of Chinese Taipei in the summit clash.

(With PTI Inputs)