Kidambi Srikanth went down in straight games to in-form Kento Momota of Japan in the semifinals and bowed out of the USD 700,000 Malaysia Open Super World Tour 750 tournament here today. Srikanth, who had reached world no 1 briefly in April, couldn't match the overall superior game of Momota, who has been in sensational form since making a comeback after serving a one year ban for illegal gambling.

After a 42-minute battle, Srikanth lost 13-21 13-21 to the world no 11 Momota, who registered his 21st consecutive win here. Momota was quick on his feet and produced some excellent shots mixed with deception, to dominate the rallies. His smashes had power and precision to make life difficult for Srikanth.