Kidambi Srikanth, Saina Nehwal in Denmark Open semis

TIL Desk Sports/ Defending champion Kidambi Srikanth beat compatriot Sameer Verma 22-20, 19-21, 23-21 in an absorbing men’s singles quarter-final to enter the semi-finals of the Denmark Open, in Odense, on Friday night. The Indian ace will meet second seeded Japanese and world No 1 Kento Momota, who got the better of Thailand’s Khosit Phetpradab 21-13, 21-9 in another quarter-final.The other semi-final pits Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen against home favourite Anders Antonsen.

Fourth seed Chou rallied from a game down to beat South Korea’s Son Wan Ho 17-21, 21-19, 21-15, while Antonsen, who had sent top-seeded compatriot Viktor Axelsen packing in the earlier round, beat China’s Huang Yuxiang 21-14, 13-21, 22-20.

There was added joy for India as Commonwealth Games champion Saina Nehwal also made it to the semi-finals in the women’s singles, beating Japan’s eighth seed Nozomi Okuhara 17-21, 21-16, 21-12. Saina will take on Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, who overcame Denmark’s Line Hojmark Kjærsfeldt 20-22, 21-19, 21-13 in another quarter-final.

Top seed Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei also made it to the semi-finals, labouring to a 21-13, 12-21, 21-9 victory over sixth seed Chen Yufei of China. She will meet China’s seventh seed He Bingjiao, who defeated compatriot Cai Yanyan 21-13, 21-16.