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Sameer Verma, HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, Parupalli Kashyap, and PV Sindhu entered the Swiss Open quarter-finals in Basel on Thursday. However, Saina Nehwal and Ashmita Chaliha went down fighting in their respective second-round encounters.
Verma overcame a scratchy start to down Ade Resky Dwicahyo of Azerbaijan 23-21, 21-7 in the men’s singles second round. World No. 27 Verma needed 33 minutes to book his place in the last-eight stage.
Verma had to stretch fully to claim the first extended game of 23-21. World No. 77 Dwicahya put up a tough fight and even saved a couple of game points. Verma kept his composure and converted his third game point to clinch the opening game.
Verma was a completely different player in the second game. He steamrolled his opponent with his trademark half smashes and splendid retrieving ability.
Sameer to face third seed Anthony Ginting in Swiss Open quarters
Sameer Verma will lock horns with third seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting for a spot in the Swiss Open semifinals. Verma has a 1-1 head-to-head record against the world No. 5. Both the matches were played in 2016.
Indonesia’s Ginting edged past France’s Arnaud Merkle 21-14, 14-21, 21-19, in a second-round match that lasted an hour and four minutes.
PV Sindhu registered a straight-game win over Neslihan Yigit
Double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu eased into the Swiss Open's last eight with a 21-19, 21-14 victory over Neslihan Yigit of Turkey. Second seed Sindhu will face fifth seed Michelle Li of Canada in the Swiss Open quarters.
Kidambi Srikanth survived a big scare to oust France’s Christo Popov, ranked 60th, with a fighting 13-21, 25-23, 21-11 win. Seventh-seeded Srikanth will square off against second-seeded Dane Anders Antonsen next.
Meanwhile, former top 10 player HS Prannoy rallied back to dismiss Finland’s Kalle Kolionen 19-21, 21-13, 21-9 and secure a place in the quarters.
Former Commonwealth Games gold medalist Parupalli Kashyap also sailed into the quarters after top seed and Tokyo Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen gave him a walkover.
Third seed Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost 19-21, 20-22 to the Indonesian pairing of Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan in the men’s doubles.
Sixth seeds Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy trounced Yvonne Li (Germany) and Iris Wang (USA) 21-11, 21-18 in 36 minutes to enter the women’s doubles quarters.
Saina Nehwal upset by Malaysia’s Kisona Selvaduray
Kisona Selvaduray notched up one of her biggest wins in recent times after surprising former world No. 1 Saina Nehwal.
World No. 64 Selvaduray upset Nehwal 17-21, 21-13, 21-13 in 55 minutes to reach her first World Tour quarter-finals since the 2018 Orleans Masters.
Selvaduray will play Thailand’s Supanida Katethong for a place in the last four.
Meanwhile, Ashmita Chaliha put up a tough fight before going down 18-21, 20-22 to eighth-seeded Scot Kirsty Gilmour in the second round.
Indian results at Swiss Open (Round 2)
Men’s singles
7-Kidambi Srikanth bt Christo Popov (France) 13-21, 25-23, 21-11 (73 minutes)
HS Prannoy bt Kalle Koljonen (Finland) 19-21, 21-13, 21-9 (56 minutes)
Sameer Verma bt Ade Resky Dwicahyo (Azerbaijan) 23-21, 21-7 (33 minutes)
Parupalli Kashyap gets a walkover from 1-Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
Women’s singles
2-PV Sindhu bt Neslihan Yigit (Turkey) 21-19 21-14 (42 minutes)
Saina Nehwal lost to Kisona Selvaduray (Malaysia) 21-17, 13-21, 13-21 (55 minutes)
Ashmita Chaliha lost to 8-Kirsty Gilmour (Scotland) 18-21, 20-22 (40 minutes)
Men’s doubles
3-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty lost to Pramudya Kusumawardana-Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan (Indonesia) 19-21, 20-22 (40 minutes)
Ishaan Bhatnagar-K Sai Pratheek lost to 4-Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Indonesia) 15-21, 12-21 (29 minutes)
Bokka Navaneeth-B Sumeeth Reddy lost to 2-Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (Malaysia) 15-21, 14-21 (30 minutes)
Women's doubles
6-Ashwini Ponnappa-N Sikki Reddy bt Yvonne Li (Germany)-Iris Wang (USA) 21-11, 21-18 (36 minutes)
