Unheralded Saurabh Verma and Guru Sai Dutt brought cheer to the Indian camp as they advanced to the men's singles quarter-finals of the $200,000 Indian Open Super Series badminton with hard-fought victories here yesterday
Unheralded Saurabh Verma and Guru Sai Dutt brought cheer to the Indian camp as they advanced to the men's singles quarter-finals of the $200,000 Indian Open Super Series badminton with hard-fought victories here yesterday.
India's Guru Sai Dutt returns to Belgium's Yuhan Tan during an India
Open Super Series 2011 match in New Delhi yesterday.
Dutt won 21-13, 14-21, 21-13. PIC/AFP
Hailing from Dhar, a small town in Madhya Pradesh, 20-year-old Verma continued his spectacular form from the first round to upset last year's All England runner-up Kenichi Tago of Japan 21-19, 18-21, 21-11 in 65 minutes at the Siri Fort courts in the second round.
Guru Sai Dutt accounted for Belgium's tall left-hander Yuhan Tan 21-13, 14-21, 21-13, but the euphoria was dampened a bit by P Kashyap's 21-17, 21-19 loss to second seeded Indonesian veteran Taufiq Hidayat.
Verma, who accounted for former world top-five Soni Dwi Cuncoro of Indonesia in the first round, plays World No 1 and top seed Lee Chong Wei in the last eight today.
"I just kept the shuttle down on his side as much as I could, and tried to reach the net as early as possible as it is from there that he creates his openings," Verma said. "I had talked to Gopi Sir (coach Pullela Gopichand) before and he told me the plan. I tried to adhere to it," he added.
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