Sindhu in final after stunning win
ODENSE: Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu on Saturday made it to her maiden Super Series final with a stunning upset victory over reigning world champion Carolina Marin of Spain in the Denmark Open here.
The unseeded Indian beat the world number two and All England champion Marin 21-15, 18-21, 21-17 in a closely-fought semifinal that lasted one hour and 14 minutes at Odense Sports Park in the $650,000 Super Series Premier event here.
This was 20-year-old Hyderabadi’s first win against Marin in their last four outings.
Sindhu, a twice bronze medallist in World Championships, will now take on former world number one and reigning Olympic champion Li Xuerui — ranked fourth in the tournament — of China in the summit clash.
Xuerui had beaten Korean seventh seed Sung Ji Hyun 21-8, 20-22,
21-10 in the other semifinal. Sindhu had never gone past the semifinals in the Super Series or Super Series Premier events.
Both Sindhu and Marin began the match on an equal footing before the Indian grabbed five points on the trot to cruise to a 8-3 lead before Marin closed the gap gradually. Sindhu, the lone surviving Indian, kept the lead as the two rivals exchanged their services for a while before the Indian took four straight points to reach to game point before pocketing the first set 21-15.
It was Marin who began the second set on a bright note as she took the early lead.
She zoomed to 11-6 by taking five points on the trot.
The deciding set was a tough contest and at one time it looked like Marin would run away as winner but Sindhu made a brilliant fightback under tremendous pressure. INDIA BEAT AUSTRALIA JOHOR BAHRU: India defeated Australia 1-0 to register its third consecutive victory ahead of the final of the 5th Sultan of Johor Cup junior hockey tournament here on Saturday. Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty stroke in the 42nd minute to give the victory to two-time defending champions India, who will face Britain in the summit clash at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium on Sunday.
YUKI PULLS OUT
BENGALURU: Yuki Bhambri has withdrawn from the $50,000 AirAsia Open citing fatigue and an overdose of tennis. Yuki had made an exit from the Tashkent Challenger after losing 6-4, 3-6, 3-6 in semifinal against top seed Denis Istomin.
PARIKSHIT, NITIN WIN
NEW DELHI: Top seed Parikshit Somani was tested to the hilt by Siddhant Banthia before prevailing 0-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the boys under-16 semi-finals of the Fenesta Open Junior National Tennis here. Parikshit will face Nitin K Sinha in the title clash on Sunday.