Sindhu, Sameer, Sikki-Pranaav win titles at Syed Modi meet

Lucknow, Jan 29
India bagged three titles at the Syed Modi International Badminton Championships, with singles specialists P.V. Sindhu and Sameer Verma and the mixed doubles pair of N. Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Jerry Chopra winning trophies here on Sunday.

Sikki and her women's doubles partner Ashwini Ponnappa lost the final before the former atoned herself with a victory in the mixed doubles playing against her doubles partner. Sikki-Pranaav got the better of Ashwini and B. Sumeeth Reddy 22-20, 21-10.

Also among the runners-up was ninth seed B. Sai Praneeth, whose challenge was held off by eighth seed and national champion Sameer, who won 21-19, 21-16 in 44 minutes.

Unseeded Ashwini and Sikki lost the women's doubles final to Danish top seeds Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl 16-21, 18-21 in 38 minutes.

In the women's singles clash, Sindhu ended unseeded Indonesian Grigoria Mariska's dream run with a 21-13, 21-14 win in 30 minutes at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium.

In the men's doubles title showdown, Danish top seeds Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen played up to their expectations when they defeated Chinese Taipei's eighth seeds Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han 21-14, 21-15 in 41 minutes.