On a comeback trail after recovering from a series of injuries, Sourabh Verma on Sunday clinched the men’s singles title at the Chinese Taipei Open after defeating Malaysia’s Liew Daren in the summit clash of the USD 55,000 Grand Prix tournament in Taipei City.
The 23-year-old ONGCian rallied to grab the first two games and emerged victorious after his opponent Liew retired in the third game due to a shoulder injury with the scoreline reading 12-10 12-10 3-3 in the India’s favour.
It was a case of being third time lucky as Sourabh, who had ended runners-up at Belgium and Poland international challengers, finally crossed the finishing line after spending almost a year on the sidelines due to elbow and knee injuries last year.
“It is a great victory for me and a much needed one. I had reached the finals at Belgium and Poland but could not win. So I was determined not to make the same mistakes here and I am happy I could win today,” said Sourabh Verma.
Pranaav Jerry Chopra proudly showcasing his medallion
In another game of mixed doubles, Pranaav Jerry Chopra ( ONGCian) and N Sikki Reddy continue to shine. They have won their last two tournaments at the Brazil Grand Prix and the Russian Open Grand Prix and are now on an 11-match winning streak after emerging victorious in the Dutch Open quarter-finals on Friday.
The Indian duo was put to a stern test by the French combine of Ronan Labar and Audrey Fontaine but they pulled through, 21-10, 10-21, 21-17 in 44 minutes.
ONGCreports wishes them luck & success for future endeavors.