Syed Modi International 2018: Sameer Verma, Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap enter quarter-final with contrasting wins

Lucknow: Defending champion Sameer Verma and former champions Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap progressed to the quarterfinals of the Syed Modi International World Super Tour 300 with contrasting victories, on Thursday. [caption id=“attachment_4431347” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Saina Nehwal. AFP[/caption] Second-seeded Saina, who is a three-time winner of the Lucknow tourney, defeated Amolika Singh Sisodiya 21-14 21-9, while 2012 and 2015 champion Kashyap recovered from a game down to see off Indonesia’s Firman Abdul Kholik 9-21 22-20 21-8 in another match. Third seed Sameer beat China’s Zhao Junpeng 22-20 21-17 and will meet China’s Zhou Zeqi. Former Olympic bronze medallist Saina will next face eight seeded compatriot Rituparna Das, who beat fellow Indian Shruti Mundada 21-11 21-15 in a one-sided clash. Kashyap will meet Thailand’s Sitthikom Thammasin, seeded 8th. B Sai Praneeth, seeded 4th, brushed aside Indonesia’s Shesar Hiren Rhustavito 21-12 21-10 and will take on China’s Lu Guangzu, seeded sixth, ended the run of Saarlorlux champion Subhankar Dey with a 21-13 21-10 win. In women’s singles, Sai Uttejitha Rao Chukka also notched up a 21-12 21-15 win over compatriot Reshma Karthik 21-12 21-15. She will square off against former Olympic champion Li Xuerui, seeded seventh. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa also entered the last eight by defeating compatriots Shivam Sharma and Poorvisha S Ram 12-21 21-14 21-15 in a mixed doubles match.