US Open GPG: Sameer Verma, HS Prannoy to spearhead Indian challenge in absence of big names

Anaheim: Back in action after recovering from an injury, Sameer Verma will look to put the best foot forward when he competes at the US Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament which begins on Wednesday. Sameer, who had reached the finals of 2016 Hong Kong Superseries and clinched the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold this year, had suffered a shoulder injury and couldn’t participate in the Indonesia and Australia Superseries tournaments last month. A former National champion, Sameer was then forced to withdraw from last week’s Canada Open after failing to get the visa on time. [caption id=“attachment_3299400” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sameer Verma has proved his worth with brilliant badminton Twitter: @pblindialive[/caption] The 22-year-old from Dhar will now look to go full throttle when he opens his campaign against Vietnam’s Hoang Nam Nguyen. Meanwhile, HS Prannoy and Parupalli Kashyap will also look for good results this week after early exits in Calgary. Commonwealth Games champion Kashyap will have a tough task ahead when he meets top seed Korean Lee Hyun Il, while second seed Prannoy, who had a good outing at Indonesia Superseries Premier, will face Austria’s Luka Wraber in the opening round. Among other Indians in men’s singles, Abhishek Yelegar will take on third seed Brice Leverdez of France, Lakhanee Sarang will face Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto and Harsheel Dani will square off against Mexico’s Arturo Hernandez at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena. In women’s singles, National champion Rituparna Das and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde will lead the charge in the absence of Saina Nehwal, who pulled out of the event. Shivani will face third seed Japanese Aya Ohori, Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli will fight it out against USA’s Maya Chen and Sai Uttejitha Rao Chukka will take on Netherland’s Gayle Mahulette. Rituparna will take on Rachel Honderich, while Reshma Karthik will face Danish shuttler Sofie Holmboe Dahl. Mixed doubles pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy will face English combo of Ben Lane and Jessica Pugh. Other Indian pairs Kona Tarun and Meghana Jakkampudi and Manu Attri and Maneesha K are also in the fray. In men’s doubles, third seed Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy will take on Canadian Jason Anthony Ho-Shue and Nyl Yakura. Francis Alwin and Kona Tarun and young pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also in the fray.