Carolina Marin beats Rituparna Das
Internet Desk: Indian badminton player Sameer Verma continued his great run at the India Open, as he beat a much higher-ranked player Hun Yu of Hong Kong in straight games to enter the quarterfinals of the men’s singles competition at New Delhi on Thursday.
Sameer beat his rival by 21-17, 21-15 in just 40 minutes.
The 22-year-old from Dhar, who had clinched his maiden Grand Prix Gold event at Syed Modi Internationals in January, will face either Denmark’s Anders Antonsen or German Marc Zwiebler next.
“I had prepared for his game but he played better today.
He is a tricky player with quality strokes. I think I am confident enough to go for my strokes. I will look to continue the momentum tomorrow,” Sameer said after the match.
The elder of the Verma brothers, Sourabh was engaged in a fierce battle with another Hong Kong shuttler when Sameer took the court and while he completed his victory with consummate ease, Sourabh blew a 19-16 lead in the decider, despite making a roaring comeback in the second game where he had lead from start to finish.
In the end, the scoreline read 19-21 21-14 20-22 in favour of sixth seed Ng Ka Long Angus as Sourabh left crestfallen.
While answering the difference between their games, Sameer made an observation, saying: “He (Sourabh) has a calm head and has a good rally game while I am more attacking, perhaps, if I can have his patience and he can have my aggression, we both will do well.”
Before the Verma brothers could finish their engagements, another Indian was facing an exceptionally unsual day where nothing seemed to go his way.
Former champion Kidambi Srikanth had such an off day that he completely misjudged the length of the shuttle and struggled with his strokes and got buried in a heap of unforced errors.
After 25 minutes, Rio Olympics bronze medallist Viktor Axelsen ended Srikanth’s agony with a 21-7 21-12 win.
“Nothing went my way today. I was misjudging the shuttle completely. He was playing too well and I just couldn’t compete,” Srikanth said.
The Indian had some words of comfort from the strapping Dane.
“I have been there when you enter the court and find nothing is right. But I know how good a player, Srikanth is,” said Axelsen, who had lost in the final to the Indian at 2015 edition here.
In Women’s singles clash Rio Olympics gold medal winner Carolina Marin beats India’s Rituparna Das in straight game by 21-13, 21-11.
With inputs from PTI.