India Open: Taufik Hidayat’s magic stops Kashyap

Just four tournaments ago, playing the first round of the Syed Modi International in Lucknow, defending champion Taufik Hidayat was bundled out by Indian teenager Pratul Joshi.

That was about as bad as it could get for Taufik, the former World and Olympic champion, who was on the last leg of his illustrious international career. Over the last year, he had fallen sharply from the pinnacle – while he was once No.1, he would slide to No.26 coming into the India Open.

On Wednesday, facing India’s P Kashyap, who is in the prime of his career, not many gave Taufik a chance. The Indian was obviously younger, fitter and stronger; even if Taufik could bring his famed strokeplay into the picture, Kashyap was likely to outlast him.

For most of the first round match on Wednesday, the match followed the script. Taufik was playing his pretty shots, but Kashyap was winning the rallies. The Indonesian’s greatest weapon throughout his career has been his control at the net, but Kashyap was outplaying him even in his favourite area. On a couple of points, Taufik stood still as Kashyap seemed to fox him with his trick shots.

The first game was over 21-13, and it looked a matter of time before Kashyap was done and dusted with the match.

But then the match turned – imperceptibly at first. Taufik began to ‘flow’ – the shots just kept coming from all angles, frustrating the fitter Indian into errors on the final stroke. Kashyap saved two game points, had one of his own, but then played a weak shot into the net. Taufik was onto him in a flash. That was the opening he sought, and another Kashyap error gave him game point. Then he played a shot that nobody in the audience had seen – virtually twisting the shuttle from under the net to leave Kashyap flummoxed.

By the third game, the support for Taufik had grown loud, and the Indonesian would admit to be surprised. “I thought, playing an Indian here, the crowd would be against me,” he said. “But I heard a lot of people cheering for me. This is why I love playing in India.”

The former World Champion had found his groove, and the match became a riveting affair. Taufik once again found his magic touch at the net, coaxing the shuttle over the cord, again and again, until Kashyap was flailing at it in despair. To his credit, the Indian hadn’t played a bad match – perhaps his only error was in not closing it out in the second game when he had a glimmer of an opportunity. Taufik’s confidence grew, and the impossible shots were back – a range of backhand shots; shuttles that died off the tape; flicks and drives that kept flowing.

It was again tight until 18. Kashyap played two weak shots that gave Taufik match point. And then again, on match point, he played a delectably soft net shot that caught the Indian short. The 13-21 23-21 21-18 result was Taufik’s seventh-straight win over Kashyap. It was an unusual performance, from an unusual champion. Taufik showed why, despite being in the evening of his career, and a body that perhaps doesn’t follow every command, he can still make his racket talk.

“What can I say,” sighed Kashyap. “He just got better in the end.”