Kowloon: National champion Sameer Verma stunned World No. 3 Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark to reach his maiden Super Series final while PV Sindhu made it to her second successive summit clash in two weeks at the Hong Kong Open badminton tournament, here Saturday.
The 22-year-old Sameer showed tremendous athleticism and accuracy in his strokes to notch up a hard-fought 21-19, 24-22 win over Jorgensen, who had clinched the prestigious China Super Series Premier event last week. He will face local favourite Ng Ka Long Angus.
Sindhu meanwhile, continued her rampaging run to win her 12th singles match in succession and disposed local shuttler Cheung Ngan Yi 21-14, 21-16 in a 46-minute match to set up a clash with Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying.
This is the second time that two Indians have made it to the finals of the men’s and women’s events of a badminton tournament. Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth had made the finals at 2014 China Open and 2015 India Open and both had emerged victorious.
In the first game, Sameer was up 12-7, but Jorgensen clawed his way back to 17-all. Sameer then made it 20-17, but Jorgensen saved two game points with some sauve shots at the net. However, Sameer finally pocketed the first game after winning a video referral when Jorgensen hit long.
In the second game, Jorgensen started on an aggressive note, opening up a healthy 11-5 lead at the interval. But a gritty Sameer fought back to draw level at 12-12. Undeterred Jorgensen again took the lead and had three game points at 20-17. But it was then the turn of Sameer to reel off four points in a row and the Indian had his first match point at 21-20. Sameer however, hit a backhand long and it was 21-all. It all ended however, for the Dane when his backhand hit the top of the net and Sameer sank down on his knees in relief.
“I didn’t think too much before the match. I tried to make him run around the court. I didn’t expect to do so well. My idol is Lin Dan, he’s a legend,” Sameer said after the match.
In women’s singles, Sindhu, however, hardly broke any sweat as she defeated Cheung, an opponent she had beaten twice in the past at the 2014 Badminton Asia Championships and 2013 Malaysia Grand Prix Gold.
The Hong Kong shuttler was always playing a catch up game and save for an early period in the first game when she led 4-2, she never threatened.
“Happy about two finals in two weeks,” said Sindhu after her match. “I was prepared to give it everything, am satisfied because it turned out to be easy.”
PTI
