Syed Modi International: PV Sindhu through to semi-final, HS Prannoy knocked out

Top seed PV Sindhu reached the semi-finals of the Syed Modi International on Friday after beating Thailand’s Supanida Katethong in three games in Lucknow. The Thai sixth seed, who defeated Sindhu in the semi-finals of the India Open last week, pushed the two-time Olympic medallist again but the latter came out on top this time with a 11-21, 21-12, 21-17.

However, HS Prannoy, seeded fifth in the men’s singles draw, fell to a straight-game defeat to France’s Arnaud Merkle. Prannoy lost the match 19-21, 16-21 in just a minute under an hour.

Sindhu will now face Russian fifth seed Evgeniya Kosetskaya, who beat Czech Republic’s Tereza Svabikova 21-8, 21-14.

Sindhu had reached the quarter-finals after beating Laura Lam of the United States in straight games. The top seed needed only 33 minutes to outclass Lam 21-16, 21-13.

In other results, Malvika Bansod, who had stunned Saina Nehwal in the India Open, beat compatriot Aakarshi Kashyap 21-11, 21-11 and will now face another Indian Anupama Upadhyaya in the semi-final. Anupama also beat a compatriot in Samiya Farooqui in a hard-fought match that ended in a 24-22, 23-21 win for the former.