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Top seed Sameer Verma staved off a tough challenge from 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist RMV Gurusaidutt to make it to the final of the Hyderabad Open 2018 on Saturday. Verma came back from a game down to eke out a 16-21, 21-15, 21-11 win in 51 minutes at this Super 100 event.
The World No. 21 will now face the unseeded Joo Ven Soong of Malaysia, who is placed 70 rungs below him at 91st in the world rankings. Ven upset the seventh seed Firman Abdul Kholik of Indonesia 21-17, 21-14 for a berth in Sunday’s summit clash.
The Pullela Gopichand protégé is looking to win his second title of the season after triumphing at the Swiss Open in February.
Indians aim for two doubles titles
Indian shuttlers continue to impress in doubles as two pairs from the country made it to the finals. The top seeded men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lived up to the expectations when they thoroughly outplayed Arun George and Sanyam Shukla 21-14, 21-6 in just 27 minutes.
Up next for them are the third seeds Akbar Bintang Cahyono and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani.
This is the first final for the top Indian men’s doubles pair after finishing as the runners-up at the Commonwealth Games in April. They are looking for their first title since winning the Vietnam International Challenge in March of 2017.
In mixed doubles, top seeds Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy beat the fifth seeded combine of Chang Tak Ching and NG Wing Yung 21-19, 21-15 to progress into the final. Chopra and Reddy, who are ranked 24th now, will meet Indonesia’s sixth seeds Akbar Bintang Cahyono and Winny Oktavina Kandow.
The two will be hoping to lay their hands on a trophy in the international circuit for the first time since lifting the Syed Modi International in January of 2017.
