Top Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu and K Srikanth reached the semifinals of the $120,000 Syed Modi International India Grand Prix Gold at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium here on Friday.
Though the top two seeds of women’s singles Saina and Sindhu had straight-game victories, Srikanth had to fight it out against 11th seeded B Sai Praneeth to win the men’s singles tie 21-18, 20-22, 21-12. The reigning national champion will take on another compatriot, seventh seeded HS Prannoy for a place in the final.
Youth Olympics silver medallist Prannoy packed off Malaysian 12th seed Zulfadli Zulkiffli, who upset top seed and defending champion Parupalli Kashyap on Thursday. Prannoy reached his first GP semifinal beating the Malaysian 21-19, 21-14.
Earlier, last year’s runner-up Sindhu beat Indonesian seventh seed Hera Desi 21-11, 21-13 in 34 minutes to take a 2-0 lead in career meetings. The World No.11 faces a tricky semifinal when she takes on defending champion and Indonesian fourth seed lindaweni Fanetri, who ousted India’s Arundhati Pantawane 21-10, 21-7 in 36 minutes.
In the last match of the day, World No. 9 Saina defeated Indonesia’s Bellaetrix Manuputty for the fourth time in as many matches to proceed to the semis. The top-seed needed 45 minutes to oust the fifth-seed 21-15, 21-15 and will next take on Chinese sixth seed Xeng Duan for the first time. Meanwhile, Thai women’s doubles pair Phataimas Muenwong and Kilasu Ostermeyer beat Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa 21-14, 21-11 in just 31 minutes.