Asian champion Suranjoy Singh (51kg) humbled Olympic bronze medallist Vincenzo Picardi in the quarter-finals to assure himself medal in the season-ending President's Cup boxing tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday.
Representing the Asia One team, the Indian won his opening bout 6-4 and will now take on Mexico's Braulio Avila, who is competing for Americas Two team, in Thursday's semi-finals.
In a bout he dominated from the start, Suranjoy unsettled his Italian opponent with his very first blow and led 4-1 at the end of the first three minutes.
"I didn't even know that he is an Olympic bronze medallist. I was just focussed on keeping my cool because a lot of times in the past I have lost because of my temper. I just tried to stay calm in the ring and that approach worked very well," the 22-year-old Suranjoy said.
Suranjoy adopted a guarded approach in the second round and with a rock-solid guard and swift movements denied his opponent a chance to come back in the bout.
"Suranjoy fought aggressively in the first round. He slowed down a bit in the second round but his defence was solid and he didn't let the other guy come too close to him," said national coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu.
Avila tried hard to claw back in the final three minutes but Suranjoy weathered the late onslaught to come out trumps.
Suranjoy is the lone Indian left in fray in the inter-continental event after Thokchom Nanao Singh bowed out with a first-round defeat on Tuesday.
