Sameer faces Gurusaidutt in semifinals

Indian shuttlers Sameer Verma and RMV Gurusaidutt set up a semifinal clash after staving off spirited challenge from their respective opponents in the men's singles competition of the USD 75,000 BWF Tour Super 100 tournament here Friday.

Top seed Sameer, who had clinched the Swiss Open this year, had to dig deep to outwit compatriot Pratul Joshi 16-21, 26-24, 21-7 in a match that lasted 55 minutes.

Gurusaidutt, a former Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, recovered from a game down to defeat Malaysia's Lim Chi Wing 13-21, 22-20, 21-11 in a 59-minute quarterfinal match.

Among other Indians in fray, Commonwealth Games silver medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty outclassed India's Tarun Kona and Malaysia's Lim Khim Wah 21-13, 21-10 to sail into the last four.

In men's doubles, fourth seeds Arun George and Sanyam Shukla also entered the final four with a 21-17, 21-15 win over Hong Kong's Chan Tsz Kit and Yeung Shing Choi to set up a semifinal clash with Satwik and Chirag.

The top Indian mixed doubles pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy edged Hong Kong's Yeung Ming Nok and Ng Tsz Yau 22-20, 14-21, 21-17 in a 52-minute match to also progress to the semifinals.

The world no 24 Indian pair will face another Hong Kong combination of Chang Tak Ching and Ng Wing Yung, seeded fifth, on Saturday.

However, in women's singles, Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli and Rasika Raje bowed out after suffering defeats in the quarterfinals.

While Jia Min of Singapore ended Sri Krishna's run in the tournament with a 21-12, 21-12 win, Raje lost 19-21, 8-21 by Sim Yu Jin of Korea in another quarterfinal clash.

The mixed doubles pairs of S Sunjith and Sruthi KP and Arjun MR and Maneesha K crashed out of the contest.

Second seeded men's doubles pair of Arjun MR and Ramchandran Shlok and women's doubles pair of Pooja D and Sanjana Santosh too failed to cross the quarterfinal hurdle.