SINDHU SAILS; SAINA, MARIN CRASH IN INDIA OPEN BADMINTON
Saina, Marin bite the dust in India Open Badminton
Defending champion PV Sindhu geared up for an encore at the Yonex-Sunrise Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta India Open 2018, a part of the HSBC BWF World Tour 500, by booking a semi-final spot here on Friday.
But the women's field suffered a massive jolt when it lost two big guns, Saina Nehwal and Carolina Marin, in the quarter-final rounds at the Siri Fort Badminton Indoor Stadium.
Fifth-seed Beiwen Zhang of USA shocked Saina 21-10, 2113 in 32 minutes while Cheung Ngan Yi of Hong Kong accounted for second seed Marin 21-12, 21-19.
However, Sindhu kept the Indian flag flying high by going past eighth-seeded Beatriz Corrales 21-12, 19-21, 21-11 in 54 minutes.
The 25-year-old Corrales did well to claim the second game after losing the first 21-12. Down 13-20, the top seed, however, fought back by taking six points on the trot. She couldn’t the next two points though, failing to retrieve a shot despite a valiant dive.
Sindhu's semi-final opponent will be former World Champion and third seed Ratchanok Intanon, who handed out a 21-11, 21-11 drubbing to seventh seed Yip Pui Yin of Hong Kong.
It is not an easy matchup as the Thai star and current World No. 3 holds a 4-2 head to head advantage over the Indian. "She is a tricky opponent. It’s just that I have to play and give my best," Sindhu, who had defeated the 2013 World Champion 21-17, 21-17, three months ago in the Hong Kong Open, said.
Meanwhile, the Indian challenge in men's singles ended as eighth seed Sai Praneeth, Parupalli Kashyap and Sameer Verma bowed out in straight games to stronger opponents in the quarter-finals.
While Sai Praneeth lost to third seed Chou Tien Chien of Chinese Taipei 15-21, 13-21, Kashyap went down 16-21, 1821 to Chinese Qiao Bin. The winners will clash in the first semifinal on Saturday.
Tien Chien, 28, who was last year's finalist here, held a 3-0 advantage over the Indian in their past three meetings and he extended that domination with a fluent victory in 43 minutes.
The 31-year-old Kashyap, who had lost to Qiao Bin in last year's China Masters, put up a spirited display but failed to get past his world No35-ranked rival.
Malaysian Isqandar Zulqarnain, who had upset Kidambi Srikanth on Thursday, continued his impressive run in the tournament defeating Verma 21-17, 21-14.
He will take on fourth seeded Shi Yuqi, who made it to the semis with a clinical 21-13, 21-12 victory over sixth seeded Wang Tzu Wei of Chinese Taipei.
Eight seeded pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Sikki Reddy were the only Indians to book a semifinal spot in the doubles defeating Chinese duo of Han Chengkai and Cao Tong Wei 21-8, 21-13 in the mixed doubles quarters. Key quarter-final results: Men's Singles
3-Chou Tien Chen (Tpe) bt 8Sai Praneeth (Ind) 21-15, 21-13;
4-Shi Yuqi (Chn) bt 6-Wang Tzu Wei 23-13, 21-12; Qiao Bin (Chn) bt Parupalli Kashyap (Ind) 21-16, 21-18; Isqandar Zulkarnain (Mas) bt Sameer Verma (Ind) 21-17, 21-14. Women's Singles:
1-PV Sindhu (Ind) bt 8-Beatriz Corrales (Esp) 21-12, 19-21, 21-11; 6-Cheung Ngan Yi (HKG) bt 2-Carolina Marin (Esp) 21-12, 21-19; 3-Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) bt 7-Yip Pui Yin (HKG) 21-11, 21-11; 5-Biewen Zhang (USA) bt 4-Saina Nehwal (Ind) 21-10, 21-13. Men's Doubles:
1-Marcus Gideon/ Kevin Sanjaya (Ina) bt Manu Attiri/ B Sumeeth Reddy 21-19, 21-19;
4-Kim Astrup/ Anders Skaarup Rasmussen bt Francis Alwin/ K Nandagopal (Ind) 21-13, 21-14. Women's Doubles:
1-Kamilla Rytter Juhl/ Christinna Pedersen (Den) bt 8-Kittipak Dubthuk/ Natcha Saengchote (Tha) 21-11, 21-13;
2-Jongkolphan Kititharakul/ Rawinda Prajongjai (Tha) bt Jakkampudi Meghana/ Poorvisha S Ram (Ind) 21-10, 21-15; Du Yue/ Li Yinhui (Chn) bt 6-Ashwini Ponnappa/ Sikki Reddy 21-17, 23-21. Mixed Doubles:
5-Mathias Christiansen/ Christinna Pedersen bt Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/ Ashwini Ponnappa 21-17, 2111; 8-Pranaav Jerry Chopra/ Sikki Reddy bt Han Chengkai/ Cao Tong Wei (Chn) 21-8, 21-13
SEMI-FINAL LINEUP Men's Singles
3-Chou Tien Chen (Tpe) v Qiao Bin (Chn); 4-Shi Yuqi (Chn) v I. Zulkarnain (Mas). Women's Singles
1-PV Sindhu (Ind) v 3Ratchanok Intanon (Tha);
5-Beiwen Zhang (USA) v 6Cheung Ngan Yi (HKG).