Saina blows away four match points
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 quarter-final 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 found her feet and from 14-11 raced away to 20-12. Okuhara managed to save three game points but Saina took the lead on her fourth attempt. The momentum was reversed in the second game as it was Okuhara who emerged the dominant player. With brilliant court coverage, the Japanese eased into the lead and looked to draw level. 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, first at 10-6 and then at 16-10. A couple of body smashes backed by mistakes from Okuhara helped Saina reach match point at 20-16.
However, Saina inexplicably failed to convert any of the four match points 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 BWF rankings, replacing Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen at the top. 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 and missed the Olympics before returning to the tour at the Canadian Open in July last year.
The explosive 24-year-old won back-to-back tournaments in March and April this year before losing to Lee Chong Wei in the final of the Malaysia Open.
He beat Axelsen in the final of the Indonesia Open in July before winning the men’s singles title at world championships.