Syed Modi International: Treesa–Gayatri defend title; Srikanth falls short in thriller

India witnessed mixed fortunes at the Syed Modi International Super 300 on Sunday, as the women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand successfully defended their crown, while Kidambi Srikanth narrowly missed ending his long title drought in a nail-biting men’s singles final.

Treesa and Gayatri produced a composed, dominant performance to retain the championship, reinforcing their rise as one of India’s most promising doubles teams on the international circuit.

However, the spotlight also fell on Srikanth, whose wait for a title stretched to eight years after a heartbreaking defeat in a tense 67-minute final. The former champion and 2021 World Championships silver medallist fought valiantly before going down 16-21, 21-8, 20-22 to Hong Kong’s Jason Gunawan, ranked 59th in the world.

Srikanth, 32, last clinched a title at the 2017 French Open and had earlier come close to ending the drought when he finished runner-up at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 this year. On Sunday, he staged a strong comeback in the second game and saved multiple points in the decider but could not convert the crucial moments as Gunawan held firm to seal the win.

Despite the setback, Srikanth’s spirited run to the final and the successful title defence by Treesa–Gayatri added to India’s strong showing at the tournament.