Malaysia Open: P.V. Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth enter semifinals

Kuala Lumpur: P.V. Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth continued their impressive run at the Malaysia Open, progressing to the semifinals of the women’s and men’s singles competition with a straight-game wins in the USD 700,000 world tour super 750 tournament on Friday. In a clash between Olympic silver and gold medallists, it was Sindhu who emerged victories with a 22-20 21-19 result in a 52-minute quarterfinal match here. The 22-year-old Sindhu, who won a silver at the Glasgow World Championship, will face world no 1 and top seed Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying on Saturday. Earlier, fourth seed Srikanth, who won a silver medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, dumped world no 22 France’s Brice Leverdez 21-18 21-14 in a 39-minute clash at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, a suburb in Kuala Lumpur. The Indian had also beaten the French in three games at All England Championship this year. The 25-year-old will take on former world no 2 and 2015 world championship bronze medallist Kento Momota, who has been in sensational form ever since making a comeback after serving a one-year ban by Japan Badminton Association for gambling at an illegal casino in 2015.