DENMARK OPEN 2014 QF – Kashyap keeps Indian hopes alive

Kashyap Parupalli is the last Indian standing in the semi-finals of the Yonex Denmark Open Superseries Premier and will take on the World Champion.

By Don Hearn.  Photos: Yohan Nonotte for Badmintonphoto (live)

India began quarter-finals day at the 2014 Yonex Denmark Open Superseries Premier with a contender for each of the four singles semi-finals but Commonwealth Games gold medallist Kashyap Parupalli (pictured) is the only one left.  Kashyap, incidentally, booked his ticket at the expense of the last hope for the home team.  Jan O. Jorgensen’s day off, courtesy of a walkover from the injured Lin Dan, did not prove to be the advantage he would have hoped for as the 2010 champion was beaten in two games.

Kashyap is now set to play against the overwhelming favourite for this title, World Champion Chen Long.  Although Chen had dominated their last two encounters, the memory of his one victory over the Chinese ace, in 2012, is not so dim that Kashyap would not be dreaming of making this his long-awaited first Superseries final.

In the other half of the draw is one whose most recent win over Chen is a much fresher memory.  Son Wan Ho of Korea eliminated Kidambi Srikanth in two close games to reach only his second Superseries semi-final of the year.

Before Son can claim his place in the final, he must first get past Tian Houwei (pictured), who was the victor in the two men’s only encounter that was not on the Korean’s home turf.  Tian got the better of Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana, who had surprised his compatriot Gao Huan to reach a Superseries semi earlier this year.

The women’s singles featured an even closer contest between India and Korea.   Last year’s runner-up Sung Ji Hyun (pictured below) also booked her second Superseries semi-final of the year when she squeezed past Pusarla Venkata Sindhu 25-23, 22-20.

Sung finds herself surrounded by Chinese talent on Saturday as she takes on Li Xuerui with the winner slated to play the superior Wang from the other semi-final.

Click here for complete quarter-final results