Hyderabad Open: Sameer downs Soong to win men's singles title

Sameer was visibly delighted with the end-result as he embarks on the circuit with the specific intention of improving his rankings.

Published : Sep 09, 2018 20:48 IST , HYDERABAD

Sameer Verma came up with a brilliant show to win the men's singles final.
Sameer Verma came up with a brilliant show to win the men's singles final.
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Sameer Verma came up with a brilliant show to win the men's singles final.

Sameer Verma of India served another reminder of his growing reputation with an impressive 21-15, 21-18 win over Malaysian Soong Joo Ven in the 37-minute men’s singles final of the Hyderabad Open badminton championship at Gachibowli Indoor Stadium on Sunday.

The focus was clearly on Sameer, a strong contender now for a slot in the year-ending BWF Super Series Finals, in the final which was the last match of the evening.

And he didn’t disappoint the sparse crowd with another brilliant blend of aggression and remarkable net-play to change the pace of the game , especially in the first game when the Malaysian was leading 11-8.

The way Sameer pushed the opponent to the baseline to dictate terms was a treat to watch.

Though the southpaw Soong looked good to rattle the fancied Indian early in the first game, his game withered away in the face of a clever shift in strategy by the Indian who kept the opponent away from the net.

A combination of quality jump smashes and cross-court drops were just too good from Sameer who was visibly delighted with the end-result as he embarks on the circuit with the specific intention of improving his rankings.

Earlier, the top-seeded men’s doubles combination of R. Satwiksairaj and Chirag Shetty outslugged third-seeded  Indonesian pair of Akbar Bintang Cahyono and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani for a 21-16, 21-14 win to ensure a delightful start for the hosts. 

However, the premier mixed doubles combination of Pranaav J Chopra and N. Sikki Reddy which showed great grit and determination in the final moments saving three match-points from the Indonesian combine of Akbar Bintang Cayhono and Winny Oktavina Kandow  faltered in the dying moments of the match.

But Sikki Reddy who was brilliant right through the match with her superb backhands and great opportunism at the net faltered when it mattered most – hitting her dab into the net and then failing to connect an intended overhead smash with the scoreline reading 23-all in the decider to the dismay of the fans.

In the women’s singles final, Kim Ga Eun of Korea shocked fourth-seeded Deng Joy Xuan of Hong Kong  with a 21-9, 18-21, 21-17 in the 52 minute final.

The results: All finals:  

Men’s singles: Sameer Verma (Ind) bt Soong Joo Ven (Mas) 21-15, 21-18.

Doubles: R. Satwiksairaj &Chirag Shetty (Ind) bt Akbar Bintang Cahyono & Moh Reza Isfahani (Ina) 21-16, 21-14.

Women’s singles: Kim Ga Eun (Kor) bt Deng Joy Xuan (Hkg) 21-9, 18-21, 21-17.

Doubles: Ng Tsz Yau & YuenSin Ying (Hkg) bt Vivian Hoo & Yap Cheng Wen (Mas) 21-18, 16-21, 21-14.

Mixed doubles: Akbar Bintang Cahyono & Winny Oktavina Kandow (Ina) bt Pranaav J Chopra & N. Sikki Reddy (Ind) 15-21, 21-19, 25-23.

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