Four match points lost as Saina falls
NEW DELHI: Saina Nehwal gifted former world champion Nozomi Okuhara victory as the Indian fifth seed failed to capitalise on as many as four match points to lose the $600,000 Korea Open women’s singles quarterfinal in Seoul on Friday. The Indian challenge at the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament also came to an end with world No 10 Saina’s loss as the third seeded Japanese won 15-21, 21-15, 22-20 in 59 minutes at the SK Handball Arena.
This was Rio Olympics bronze medallist Okuhara’s third win on the trot against Saina as she also improved her head-to-head record to 4-6. The 23-year-old Japanese will next take on compatriot and top seed Akane Yamaguchi, who defeated Chinese eighth seed Gao Fangjie in two games, in the semi-finals.
Saina looked in prime form in the first game as the rallies extended, making her opponent play at the back of the court and forcing her into uncharacteristic errors. The Indian raced away to 20-12 before sealing the game.
The momentum was reversed in the second game as it was Okuhara who emerged the dominant player. Seemingly, Saina reduced her efforts, to save her energy for the deciding game, as the Japanese levelled the contest.
Saina did well to lead from the start in the third game and opened up big gaps before bringing up four match points at 20-16.
However, Saina inexplicably failed to convert any of them and hit wayward shots under pressure. She lost the next two points as well as Okuhara snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
MOMOTA NEW NO. 1
KUALA LUMPUR: World champion Kento Momota has become the first Japanese man to top the Badminton World Federation rankings, replacing Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen at the top of the list in men’s singles. Axelsen, 2016 Olympics bronze medallist and 2017 world champion, is third in the latest edition of the rankings, behind China’s Shi Yuqi. Momota was suspended in April 2016 for visiting an illegal casino but has been in prolific form since returning in July last year.