More challenging to maintain top position: Srikanth Kidambi

How tough was it to live up to the billing of top seed going into the Swiss Open?
Once you get into a tournament, the seeding does not matter. Once you step on to the court, everyone wants to win. Nobody gives you any easy point. It is a match, 50-50 chances of you winning. The only aim is to win it.

How would you describe the last one year, you rose in rankings to your best No. 4?
I am happy with the way I have been playing for the last year or so. Everything is working for me. I am happy in that way. But, it is more challenging to maintain it (ranking). When you are already there (at the top), people will start looking at you, setting strategies for you. It is more challenging to maintain the top position.

How do you overcome this challenge?
Without Gopi (P Gopichand) sir, I would not have been there. What I need now is just a little more hard work, me thinking and analysing my game more than worrying about the opponents.

You made a first round exit in All England and went on to win the Swiss Open the next week. How did you overcome the disappointment of an early exit in Birmingham?
It is disappointing to lose in the first round, more so after I was seeded fourth in All England. Then the week after that, winning the tournament made me really happy. I managed to play well in Basel after the big loss in Birmingham. You have to forget the past. There are so many tournaments in a year that if you keep thinking of one tournament, you cannot play the other tournaments. You have to take one tournament a week, get on with the strategy, forget that tournament and be ready for the next tournament.

You are second seed for India Open starting next week. What are your memories of India Open of the past and what can we expect from you in this edition?
Last year, I lost in the first round. This year, me being seeded second, I am hoping to play well and give my best.

How do you deal with the pressures of expectations?
There is no such pressure. There are many more people cheering for you. There are so many well wishers cheering for you back home that gives you confidence, not put you in any pressure.

Do you still look back at the Lin Dan win in China Open Superseries Premier last November and seek inspiration?
Yes, definitely. You can never say or comment about Lin Dan. You cannot say anything about him. He is unpredictable. Am just happy to beat him.

You have faced world No. 1 Chen Long of China in successive tournament semifinals (Hong Kong and Dubai last year end). How difficult are the Chinese compared to the rest? Do you feel you are now better placed to defeat the Chinese?
It is tough. Chen being world champion and world no. 1, is always tough to play. Having said that, if you want to win tournaments, you should beat top players. If I play consistently well, I am confident of winning against them on a regular basis.

Is it easy to win a tournament without having to face a Chinese along the way? Like the Swiss Open in which you did not have to bump into any Chinese...
In international circuit, no opponent comes easy. Chinese losing to other players means other shuttlers are are doing well. My opponent in Swiss Open final, Viktor Axelsen of Denmark defeated a Chinese (Xue Song) in the semifinals to enter the title round. You cannot say it is easy to play a player from Denmark and that only Chinese are tough to beat. You cannot underestimate anyone.

Having won a Superseries Premier and Grand Prix Gold titles, which one gave you great satisfaction?
Winning against Lin Dan is my biggest win. Having said that, every tournament win is important. I can't rate or compare one tournament win with another. I still cherish my first international title in juniors as also my first in seniors, the Maldives International Badminton Challenge in 2012. Even they have their own importance. Every win in the tournament gives you confidence. Winning a Challenger gives you the confidence to play well in Grand Prix Gold. And, winning in Grand Prix Gold gives you the confidence to do well in Superseries tournaments.

Are you in a position to choose tournaments and still maintain your rankings?
I don't actually play many tournament. I have to play all the Superseries tournaments because of my ranking. There are five Superseries Premier, seven Superseries events. I have to play all of them. May be a World Championships and one or two Grand Prix Golds. About 14-15 tournaments in 52 weeks are really good enough to still be training, playing and going back to training.

What role do you see you having to play in making Indian badminton a dominating force in the world?
We can see many players doing well not just in singles but also in doubles. It is just that we, as senior players in the Indian team, have to maintain it. If we can perform consistently, junior players can come up from here. I am ready to do it for Indian badminton. It has given me so much, I am ready to maintain the standards of Indian badminton.

What would you have done if you were not playing badminton?
I never thought about it. It was only badminton from the start.

What do you do when you are not playing badminton?
Sleep. I stay at the academy, so we don't have much time. My parents are not in Hyderabad. They live in Guntur, about five hours drive from Hyderabad. We don't actually meet often. We meet once in a month. They were there to receive me at the Hyderabad airport on Tuesday. I do speak to them on a daily basis. I cannot take time from badminton to meet them. They stay far away. Badminton means everything to me.

What is your routine on an average day and how is it in a tournament?
On a daily basis, we have 3-4 training sessions a day. And in tournaments, I relax. I don't want to strain in tournaments. We don't do any other things.

What goals have you set for yourself?
For this year, I want to perform consistently well and win a World Championships medal. Next year, I want to get into the Olympics and win a medal.

SRIKANTH KIDAMBI
Born: February 7, 1993 in Guntur (Andhra Pradesh)
Playing style: Right hand
Coach: Pullela Gopichand
Highest ranking: 4
Current ranking: 4

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Runner-up in Commonwealth Youth Games, 2011
Winner in All India Junior International Badminton Championship, Pune, 2011
Winner, Maldives International Badminton Challenge, 2012
Winner in Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold, 2013
Winner of All India Senior National Championships, 2013
Runner-up in India Open Grand Prix Gold, 2014
Quarterfinalist in Malaysia Open Superseries Premier, 2014
Semifinalist in Singapore Open Superseries, 2014
Quarterfinalist in Commonwealth Games, 2014
Winner in China Open Superseries Premier, 2014
Semifinalist in Hong Kong Open Superseries, 2014
Semifinalist in Dubai World Superseries Finals, 2014
Runner-up in Syed Modi International Championships, 2015
Winner in Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold, 2015