Sameer, Kashyap in final

Basel/ Vienna: India’s men shuttlers had a great day in office with reigning Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap reaching the Austrian International Challenge final in Vienna while young Sameer Verma made it to the summit clash at the Swiss Open.

In Vienna, 31-year-old Kashyap beat fifth-seeded Estonian Raul Must 21-18, 21-4 in only 37 minutes to reach the title round. While the Estonian Raul fought hard in the first game, he was no match for the former World No 6 in the second game where he won 10 consecutive points. There was no looking back from there on.

It is expected that Kashyap, whose rankings have plummeted currently to No 52 due to injuries, will get an important points and improve his position in the list.

In Basel, World No 41 Sameer beat 19-year-old Thai Kantaphon Wangcharoen 21-14, 11-21, 21-12 in three hard-fought games. In the first set Sameer employed cautious tactics by playing a waiting game and dictated the rallies completely. However, World No 51 Kantaphon turned the tables in the second game by attacking more frequently.

Sameer was unable to improvise and tried to make his opponent reach for wider shuttles. By shortening the rallies, Kantaphon left Sameer a little helpless. The final game however went Smaeer’s way as his waiting game along with stronger legs worked in his favour.