Syed Modi Championship | Saina Nehwal, Sameer Verma and Parupalli Kashyap enter quarter-finals
Defending champion Sameer Verma, along with Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap, has progressed to the quarter-finals of the Syed Modi International World Super Tour 300 with contrasting victories on Thursday. Sai Praneeth also brushed aside Indonesia’s Shesar Hiren Rhustavito to enter the quarters.
Nehwal had an easy day-out on the court as she got the better of Amolika Singh Sisodiya 21-14, 21-9, while two-time champion Kashyap, after losing the first game terribly, recovered well in time to edge out Indonesia’s Firman Abdul Kholik 9-21, 22-20, 21-8 in another match. While the London Olympics Bronze medalist will next face compatriot Rituparna Das, who beat another Indian shuttler Shruti Mundada 21-11, 21-15 in a one-sided clash, Kashyap will meet Thailand’s Sitthikom Thammasin.Â
It was a very good day for the other Indians as well as the third seed Sameer Verma beat China’s Zhao Junpeng 22-20, 21-17 to book his place in the quarters and will meet China’s Zhou Zeqi in the round of 8. Sai Praneeth managed to get the better of Indonesia’s Shesar Hiren Rhustavito 21-12, 21-10 and will take on China’s Lu Guangzu.
Among the women’s singles players, Sai Uttejitha Rao Chukka didn’t have to break a sweat as she secured a 21-12, 21-15 win over Reshma Karthik and will square off against former Olympic champion Li Xuerui. The mixed doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa also entered the last eight by defeating another Indian duo Shivam Sharma and Poorvisha S Ram 12-21, 21-14, 21-15.
