Gurusaidutt upsets second seed in India Open badminton championship

Seventh-seeded RMV Gurusaidutt of India upset second seed Malaysian Hafiz Hashim Muhammad 21-18 16-15 (retired hurt) in a quarterfinal of the India Open Grand Prix Gold badminton championships at the SDAT Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Friday.

Chetan Anand for second day had to pull himself out of trouble, while Saina Nehwal glided through to the semifinals beating Sayali Gokhale in the quarters. Chetan had to break a lot of sweat in curving out a 21-15 19-21 21-16 against the Malaysian while Saina had no problems brushing aside the challenge of Sayali 21-4 21-8.

India suffered a setback in men’s single as Arvind Bhat was upset by Indonesian Yunus Alamsyah 21-19 21-9. Third seeded P Kashyap stayed on course with a 12-21 21-9 21-12 win over sixth seeded compatriot Anand Pawar.

The third seeded Indian women’s doubles pair of Aparna Balan and Shruti Kurien lost to Indonesia’s Della Destiara Haris and Suci Rizki Andini. The Indians took the first set 21-15, but thereafter lapsed into a series of blunders to lose the next two 10-21 11-21.