India’s campaign came to an end at the Korea Masters after Kidambi Srikanth and Sameer Verma were knocked out of the tournament. The Indian shuttlers suffered straight games loss in the second round of the tournament.
The day started with Srikanth taking on Japan’s Kanta Tsuneyama in their maiden encounter. Tsuneyama looked comfortable against the Indian as he took just 37 minuted to defeat Srikanth 21-14, 21-19. Srikanth looked a little rusty as the Japanese shuttler took six points on the trot in the first game to take the lead. He went on to take an easy victory in the first game. The story was no different for Srikanth in the second game as well. The Indian shuttler never looked to take the command over the Japanese. Tsuneyama took advantage of the situation and took a four points lead from where Srikanth never recovered before being knocked out of the tournament.
Srikanth had advanced into the second round of the tournament after a first-round victory over Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent 21-18 21-17.
Srikanth’s outser was still news for the Indian fans when Sameer’s campaign also ended after he lost to South Korea’s Kim Donghun 21-19, 21-12 in 39 minutes. Sameer showed his class in the opening game as he fought well and matched Kim shot by shot. However, the South Korean was too much to bite for the Indian as he lost the opening game very closely. In the second game, the South Korean upped the ante as Sameer seemed unmatched to the skill of Kim and bowed out of the tournament.
Earlier, Saina Nehwal had decided to give the tournament a miss as she was struggling to find form. The World No. 9 was last seen in action at the Hong Kong Open where she crashed out in the first round. The early exit in Hong Kong on Wednesday was her 8th 1st-round defeat of the season.
