Kidambi Srikanth Surges to Malaysia Masters Final, Reviving World Tour Glory

Kidambi Srikanth, once ranked world No. 1 in badminton, has reached his first World Tour Final since 2019 at the Malaysia Masters 2025. In a thrilling semi-final on Saturday, Srikanth defeated Japan's Yushi Tanaka, currently ranked No. 23, with scores of 21-18, 24-22, in a tightly contested match lasting 49 minutes.

This marks Srikanth's first semi-final appearance of the year, with his last top-four finish in the BWF World Tour being the Swiss Open Super 300 in March 2024. He now awaits the winner of the other semi-final between Japan's Kodai Naraoka, ranked eighth, and Li Shifeng of China, ranked fourth, for the title clash.

In a hard-fought quarterfinal match, Srikanth secured his place in the semi-finals by overcoming France's Toma Junior Popov with a comeback victory, 24-22, 17-21, 22-20, in a contest that extended to one hour and 14 minutes. Despite trailing at various stages, Srikanth demonstrated resilience to claim his fourth win in six encounters with Popov. Meanwhile, India's mixed doubles team of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila bowed out of the tournament after a quarter-final loss to China's Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin.

As the last remaining Indian contender in this BWF Super 500 tournament, Srikanth carries the hopes of a nation into the finals. His determination and skill have thrilled spectators, marking his resurgence on the global badminton stage.

(With inputs from agencies.)