Srikanth Kidambi vs Kazumasa Sakai, Indonesia Open 2017 Final

Final score: 21-11, 21-19 win for Srikanth

SRIKANTH KIDAMBI IS THE INDONESIA OPEN CHAMPION!!!!!!!!!!

And he wins!!!!!!!!

Can he?

Match Point after netcord deflects the shuttle

Great angle, great attack from Sri....19-19

Wide from Sri...
Sakai is up 19-18

18-18

Sakai moved Sri around the court and it pays off...goes up 18-17

Smash from Sri and it is 17-17

Early returns from Sri and gets a point...16-17

Extends it to 17-15

Big smash to Sri's forehand wing by Sakai and he is up 16-15

Getting quite tense

15-15 now

Sri's shot is blocked by the top of the net....14-15

Sakai not giving up....14-14

It indeed helped the Indian to level matters at 13-13 and then take a 14-13 lead

Crowd is chanting, "Let's go, Srikanth, let's go!!"

12-13 now

Sri trailing 11-13 now

Some clarity of thought here from the former World No. 3..he comes back to 10-12

Sri has been way too passive in this game...the same problem that he had in Singapore.

Now one more point for Sri to close the gap to 8-12

But Sakai is still like a wall..12-7

Sri gets the first point after the break...7-11

At the break, Sri trails 6-11

Sakai is still comfortably placed at 10-6

Forces an error off Sakai.... Sri is trailing 6-9

Gets back one point for 5-9

9-4 for Sakai

But Sakai is up ahead at 8-4

Sri gets a point.....4-7

7-3 for the Japanese

Remember it was the second game where Sri lost it against Sai Praneeth at the Singapore Open final....ran out of energy. He needs to rebound soon or time will be running out.

6-3 for the Japanese now

Sakai maintains the lead.....up 5-3

Any twist in the tale?

But Sakai storms ahead to 4-2 now

But it is quickly 2-2

And Sri snatches the lead here...2-1

SECOND GAME

1-1 in the early stages

That was some determined display from the former World No. 3. He needs to keep it up in the next game too.

Another netcord helps Sri take the first game 21-11

Netcord brings luck.....20-11

He makes it 11-19

Finally Sakai gets a point....10-19

19-9 now

Great finish at the net by Sri....18-9

All Sri now....16-9

Srikanth Kidambi vs Kazumasa Sakai, Indonesia Open 2017 Final - As it happened