Lucknow, November 24: Sameer Verma stayed on course to defend his title and three-time former champion Saina Nehwal also reached the semifinals at the Syed Modi International World Tour Super 300 badminton tournament, but two-time champion P Kashyap crashed out.
It was also curtains for B Sai Praneeth and Sai Uttejitha Rao Chukka who bowed out after suffering contrasting defeats.
With PV Sindhu and K Srikanth pulling out of the tournament, Saina and Kashyap were leading India's challenge in the tournament.
Sameer eked out a 21-18, 16-21, 21-11 win over China's Zhou Zeqi and will square off against Indonesian Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo.
Saina beat former National champion Rituparna Das 21-19, 21-14 to set up a meeting with Indonesia's Ruselli Hartawan.
Action pic 👍👍 pic.twitter.com/yF68fJFQ4W
— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) November 23, 2018
Kashyap went down 21-16, 21-19 to eighth-seeded Thai Sitthikom Thammasin, while Praneeth's fight ended with a 21-10, 19-21, 21-14 loss to sixth-seeded Chinese Lu Guangzu.
Sai Uttejitha Rao Chukka went down 21-9, 19-21, 21-12 to former Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China in women's singles.
Other quarterfinal results: Men's doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty bt Ou Xuanyi & Ren Xiangyu (Chn) 15-21, 21-19, 21-17.
Women's doubles: Ashwini Ponnappa & N. Sikki Reddy bt Tania Oktaviani Kusumah & Vania Arianti Sukoco (Ina) 19-21, 21-8, 21-18.
Mixed doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Ashwini Ponnappa bt Ronald & Annisa Saufika 20-22, 21-17, 21-11.
(Source: PTI)