India's premier badminton star Saina Nehwal orchestrated a fight back to beat Sung Ji Hyun in the quarter-finals, but compatriot P.V. Sindhu crashed out of the India Open Superseries at new Delhi's Siri Fort Sports Complex on Friday
New Delhi: India's premier badminton star Saina Nehwal orchestrated a fight back to beat Sung Ji Hyun in the quarter-finals, but compatriot P.V. Sindhu crashed out of the $300,000 India Open Superseries at the Siri Fort Sports Complex here on Friday.
Defending champion Saina lost the first game 19-21 before making it 1-1 with spectacular and dominating shuttle play. She registered 21-14 and 21-19 in the final two games of the match that lasted an hour and 23 minutes.
ADVERTISEMENT
With this win, world No.6 Saina improved her head-to-head record against the No.8 South Korean to 6-1.
In the other semi-final, double World Championship bronze medallist Sindhu lost to Bae Yeon Ju of South Korea 21-15, 15-21, 15-21 in an hour and 21 minutes.
World No.15 Bae has now taken a 3-1 lead in head-to-head records against No.11 Sindhu.
In another disappointing news, India's surprising women's doubles pair of Mohita Sahdev and Sanjana Santosh were thrashed 8-21, 2-21 by Japan's Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yonao.
With the loss of Sindhu and Mohita-Sanjana, Saina remains the only Indian in the tournament.
However, 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Saina's title defence will face a great Chinese wall when she will face Olympic champion and world No.2 Li Xuerui, who holds a 10-2 advantage in career meetings against the 2015 World Championship runner-up.
Xuerui advanced to the final four stage with a battling 22-20, 12-21, 21-17 win over her compatriot Shixian Wang.
In the other women's singles quarter-final, former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand defeated Chinese Taipei' Tai Tzu Ying 12-21, 21-14, 22-20 in 58 minutes. World No.5 Ratchanok will face Bae.
Meanwhile in the men's singles semi-finals, Japan's Kento Momota will face China's Xue Song and in the other contest, Danish Viktor Axelsen will be up against South Korean Wan Ho Son.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
