Ouseph books place in World Championships last 16

Rajiv Ouseph

Hounslow’s Rajiv Ouseph moved into the third round of the badminton World Championships with a 22-20, 21-9 victory over world number 29 Sameer Verma in Glasgow on Wednesday.

The reigning European champion and tournament 16th seed had defeated outsider Adam Mendrek in the first round but this looked, on paper, a tougher test.

It proved so in a nip and tuck first game, in which the lead changed hands several times, but Ouseph shaded it.

From 7-6 up in the second game, he won 14 of the next 17 points, including a 39-shot rally, to book his place in the last 16.

There he will play seventh seed Lin Dan of China, who he has never beaten in three previous meetings.