Sameer Verma, the only Indian men’s singles player at BWF World Tour bounced back from an opening loss against world champion Kenta Momota to beat against Tommy Sugiarto 21-16, 21-7 in just 40 minutes in his Group B match.
The match was close to begin with Verma getting a slender 8-6 lead but he put together a good run of points to stretch his lead to 11-7 at the mid-game break.
But the Indonesian player didn’t give in easy and every time Verma pulled ahead, Sugiarto fought back. The Indian had a slender 17-16 when Sugiarto won a superb point after a 40-shot rally.
But Verma held his nerve to win four points in a row to wrap up the opening game. In the second, he showed his superb defensive skills to open up a 11-6 lead.
Meanwhile, coach P Gopichand kept indicating to him to stay calm during the mid-game interval as Verma closed in on the win.
The Indian then took a 18-7 lead, playing some solid attacking shots to go with his impressive defensive display and it was all but over for the Indonesian. It was a solid win for Verma, who for many was an unexpected candidate to reach the year-end tournament for the top players of the year.
PV Sindhu, the only other Indian in the season-ending tournament, will face world number one Tai Tzu Ying later in the day.
Buy an annual Scroll Membership to support independent journalism and get special benefits.
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!