Hyderabad's HS Prannoy defeated Kidambi Srikanth while Saina Nehwal edged past PV Sindhu in the Senior National badminton championships finals to clinch their respective titles in Nagpur on Wednesday.
In a gruelling three-game marathon final, World No 11 Prannoy beat the Guntur player 21-15, 16-21, 21-7 to lift the men's singles title. Srikanth looked tentative right from the start and the Guntur player trailed throughout the first game before eventually losing it.
As has been the pattern in his last few tournament finals, Srikanth then re-grouped and played sensibly to clinch the second game and thus forced the match into a third game.
In the decider, it was all Prannoy. He outplayed Srikanth in every department of the game and overpowered him easily. Displaying great skill and deft touches at the net, as well as more patience in the rallies, he wore his opponent down.
Coming into this tournament, World No 2 Srikanth was the hot favourite to win the championship. He had won four Superseries titles, including back-to-back titles on two occasions earlier this year.
Srikanth had beaten Prannoy in his previous three meetings, including at the French Open Superseries, just before the Nationals.
In the women's singles final, the World No 11 Saina edged past Sindhu 21-17, 27-25. The first game was a close affair with the points going back and forth. Saina employed her all-round game to frustrate her opponent and pocket the first game.
However, World No. 2 Sindhu came back strongly to force a deuce at 20-20 in the second game. With a difference of two points needed to take the game, it was Saina who eventually held her nerve to emerge victorious.
In their head-to-head, it was deadlocked at 1-1 but now Saina has taken the lead.
(With IANS inputs)