Sindhu, Saina set up final at nationals in repeat of 2018
GUWAHATI: P V Sindhu and Saina Nehwal won their respective semifinals in contrasting fashion to set up a mouth-watering women’s singles summit showdown at the 83rd Senior National Championships here on Saturday. In a repeat of last edition’s title clash at Nagpur, the two stalwarts will look to outdo each other and write another chapter in their rivalry.
While Sindhu overcame a challenge from Assam’s promising 19-year-old Ashmita Chaliha 21-10 22-20 in the first semifinal, Saina got the better of Nagpur qualifier Vaishnavi Bhale, who was part of India’s Uber Cup squad last year, 21-15 21-14 to storm into the finals.
Saina had the last laugh against Sindhu in the last two encounters at the Nagpur Nationals in 2017 and the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games gold-medal match last year.
While Saina has won the title in 2006, 2007 and 2018, Sindhu clinched the trophy twice, in 2011 and 2013.
“It will be just another match and I don’t think it will help me for All England, I will just look to focus and give my best,” Sindhu said about the final.
In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen, who is a Asian junior champion and a bronze medallist at the World Junior Championship, secured his second final with a 21-15 21-16 win over former winner and 2014 Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap in the second semi-final.
The 17-year-old Sen, from Uttarakhand, had lost the finals of the 81st edition against Sourabh Verma and he would look to settle the scores when he faces the 26-year-old from Dhar in the finals on Saturday. Two-time former champion Sourabh sealed his final spot after beating Mumbai’s Kaushal Dharmamer 21-14 21-17 in 44 minutes.