Kidambi Srikanth's Epic Semifinal Surge at Malaysia Masters

Kidambi Srikanth, a seasoned player from India, has secured his place in the men's singles semifinals of the Malaysia Masters badminton tournament. Srikanth's victory came after a grueling three-game match against France's higher-ranked Toma Junior Popov, concluding with scores of 24-22, 17-21, 22-20.

Currently ranked 65th, but previously a world number one and a silver medallist at both the World Championships and Asian Games, Srikanth displayed relentless determination to defeat Popov, the world number 18. The fiercely contested battle spanned one hour and 14 minutes.

Srikanth's upcoming semifinal match will be against Japan's Yushi Tanaka, who advanced by defeating Christo Popov. This will mark Srikanth's first semifinal appearance in over a year, amid tough competition at the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament.

(With inputs from agencies.)