Hong Kong Open runner-up Sameer Verma stole the show by causing a big upset in the quarter-finals of the $120,000 Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow on Friday. The eighth seed sent the second-seeded Hans-Kristian Vittinghus packing, 21-15, 21-13 in 36 minutes to book himself a semi-final berth.
Sameer was not the only Indian to triumph as three of his compatriots progressed into the last four, thus guaranteeing an Indian champion in the men’s singles draw.
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Sameer will next face 15th-seeded Harsheel Dani, who sent ripples across the draw by outlasting the 12th seed Emil Holst, 21-16, 17-21, 21-11 in a 49-minute battle.
But curtains came down on the campaign of Sameer’s elder brother, Sourabh. The 11th seed bowed out after a mighty effort that saw him be edged out 19-21, 21-12, 10-21 by the ninth-seeded B Sai Praneeth. The match lasted 56 minutes.
Sai has a tough task up next as he takes on the third seed and defending champion Kidambi Srikanth for a place in Sunday’s summit clash. Srikanth needed 43 minutes to dismiss the seventh seed Zulfadli Zulkiffli, 21-12, 21-17.
PV Sindhu cruises
In the women’s singles draw, the top seed PV Sindhu continued her run of comfortable wins to reach the semi-finals. The 17-year-old Indian qualifier Vaidehi Choudhari was no match for the Rio Olympic silver medallist, who beat her, 21-15, 21-11 in just 26 minutes. For the first time at the tournament this year, Sindhu will face a non-Indian opponent as she squares off against the fourth seed Fitriani Fitriani for a spot in the final.
The Indonesian came through a very tough quarter-final, breaking the hearts of home fans when she narrowly beat Rituparna Das, 21-17, 13-21, 23-21. The marathon finished in 58 minutes.
In women’s doubles, an Indian pair is guaranteed a spot in the final. The newly-formed pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy continued their rampage through the draw and toppled the second seeds Mei Kuan Chow and Lee Meng Yean, 21-14, 21-18 to set up a clash with fellow Indians Sanjana Santosh and Arathi Sara Sunil.
Ponnappa had a great day in mixed doubles too. Seeded seventh alongside B Sumeeth Reddy, the two upset the third seeds Yong Kai Terry Hee and Wei Han Tan, 21-18, 23-21. They will now face the top-seeded Danish combine of Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen.
Second seeds Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy too made it through to the last-four. They defeated the eighth seeds Yogendran Krishnan and Prajakta Sawant, 21-16, 21-19 and will now meet the fifth seeds Mathias Christiansen and Sara Thygesen.
