Almost there: Srikanth goes down fighting against the mighty Lin Dan in QF

THE 9TH SEED men's singles shuttler Kidambi Srikanth tried his best for a semi-final spot but went down against the third seed Chinese Lin Dan in a thrilling three-game encounter 21-6, 11-21, 21-18.

Going into the Olympics, the Indian was a dark horse but he proved his worth and reached the quarters in his first ever Olympics appearance. After Sindhu's win, all eyes were on Srikanth but standing between him and semi-final was Lin Dan.

Lin Dan throughout the match proved why he is powerful and dominant. But Srikanth displayed a great grit and power too. After losing first game 21-6, nobody expected Srikanth to come back and win the second game with the difference of 10 points 21-11. He pushed the match into a decider and the fans were seated on the edges of their seats.

Srikanth came very close to a win but Lin Dan snatched it away from him, 21-18. A great run finally came to an end. But nothing to be ashamed of for Srikanth and Gopichand. Both of them can leave the arena with their heads held high.