Indian hope Kidambi Srikanth enters third successive final at Syed Modi International

Top-seeded Indian will play China's Huang Yuxiang in men's singles final in Lucknow.

New Delhi: India's rising badminton star Kidambi Srikanth on Saturday beat Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand in straight games to enter third successive men's singles final at the Syed Modi International Badminton Championships in Lucknow.

The 22-year-old needed just 32 minutes to claim a 21-14, 21-7 victory in the semi-final against the 11th seed Thai player at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium. In the final, he will play China's Huang Yuxiang, and hope to win his first title.

Playing an attacking game, the top-seeded Indian shuttler dominated his Thai opponent from the start, taking a 11-6 lead in the first game, and after a brief slow-down, Srikanth won it 21-14. The same script followed in the second game too, with the Indian taking an early lead to 12-6. From thereon, he lost only one point in the next 10 played to clinch the game, match in front of a jubilant crowd.

There was more reasons to celebrate for India as Pranaav Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar upset second-seeded South Korean pair of Kim Gi Jung and Kim Sa Rang 25-23, 13-21, 21-17 in an hour and four minutes to book the men's doubles final.

The Indian pair will play Malaysians of V. Shem Goh and Wee Kiong Tan in the final.

But in the women's section, very popular sixth-seeded Indian pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa suffered a straight game loss to second-seeded South Koreans Jung Kyung Eun and Shin Seung Chan, 14-21, 16-21 in 39 minutes.

(With Agency inputs)