Singapore win turning point for my career: Sai Praneeth

B. Sai Praneeth, the latest among Indian shuttlers to make their mark in the international arena by winning his maiden Super Series title, believes that this could be a turning point for his career.

He won the Singapore Open on Sunday by defeating Kadambi Srikanth, his training partner at the Gopichand Badminton Academy here, giving a big boost to his confidence and career. The World No. 30 defeated Srikanth, ranked a place higher, 17-21, 21-17, 21-12, to win his maiden Super Series title. "It can be turning point for my career. From now on, I will have the confidence. I know where I am and at which level I am playing," Praneeth said. It was the first time in the history of badminton that two Indians played the final of a Super Series championship.

"It was very, very long wait. There were injuries in between and my performance went down. I was waiting for one good performance and I got it now," said Praneeth, who was dismissed by some as a one-match wonder. Despite defeating big guns like Lee Chong Wei and Taufik Hidayat in his career, the 24-year-old was unlucky not have big titles to his name. "I was hoping that someday I would win a big tournament. I got one now and I want to continue winning big tournaments like this," said Praneeth, who took up the racquet at the age of eight. He now looks for consistency and wants to focus on fitness ahead of the Indonesian and Australian Opens. He hopes to qualify for the World Championship thanks to his improved in ranking.