Verma, Nehwal keep India’s hopes alive in Modi badminton
Sameer, Saina seal semifinal berths; Ashwini stars in doubles
LUCKNOW:INDIA’S Sameer Verma and Saina Nehwal kept the Indian flag flying high, making it to the semi-finals of the Syed Modi International Badminton Championships by notching up contrasting wins here on Friday.
Third seed Sameer defeated unseeded Chinese Zhou Zeqi 21-18, 16-21, 21-11 while Saina accounted for eighth-seeded compatriot Rituparna Das 21-19, 21-14 at the UPBA Academy here.
The losses suffered by former champion Parupalli Kashyap and fourth seed B Sai Praneeth in men’s quarter-finals were the big setbacks to India’s challenge in the World Tour Super 300 event. Former world No 6 Kashyap could show some resistance in the second game before he lost to eighth seed Sitthikcom Thammasin of Thailand 16-21, 19-21. Praneeth lost to sixth seed Lu Guangzu of China 10-21, 21-19, 14-21.
World No 16 Verma, despite winning the first game at 21-18 after levelling the scores at 17, found the Chinese, ranked a modest 64 in the world, a tough nut to crack in the second game, losing by five points. But in the decider, from 8-8 Sameer didn’t look back and raced to 14-10 before clinching the issue at 21-11 in 72 minutes.
World No 9 and London Olympics bronze medallist Saina was pushed a bit in the opening game when pint-sized Das managed to draw level at 19. But an experienced Saina wrested back-toback points to pocket the game. World No 56 Das battled hard in the second game when she reduced the lead to 7-8, but it was all over for her after that.
China’s Li Xuerui, the 2012 Olympic champion, was stretched a bit by unseeded Indian Sai Uttejitha Rao Chukka in the second game before winning her quarter-final 21-9, 19-21, 21-12.
Experienced Ashwini Ponnappa remained the star of the day as she made it to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles and mixed doubles in style.
RESULTS
Men’s singles (quarter-finals): 8Sitthikcom Thammasin (Tha) bt P Kashyap (Ind) 21-16, 21-19; 6-LU Guangzu (Chn) bt 4-B Sai Praneeth (Ind) 21-10, 19-21, 21-14; 3-Sameer Verma (Ind) bt Zhou Zeqi (Chn) 21-18, 16-21, 21-11; Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo (Ina) bt Vicky Angga Saputra (Ina) 2117, 21-19.
Women’s singles (quarterfinals): 7LI Xuerui (Chn) bt Sai Uttejitha Rao Chukka (Ind) 21-9, 19-21, 21-12; 4-Han Yu (Chn) bt 6-Dinar Dyah Ayustine (Ina) 21-13, 21-14; Ruselli Hartawan
(Ina) bt 5-Zhang Yiman (Chn) 23-21, 1121, 21-11; 2-Saina Nehwal (Ind) bt 8Rituparna Das (Ind) 21-19, 21-14.