India Open: Saina, Sindhu advance to quarters

ByArun S Kaimal, SportsCafe Editor

04/01/2016

Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu advanced to the quarter-final of the India Open Super Series badminton tournament on Thursday. Second seed Saina defeated Nichaon Jindapon in straight games, while Sindhu earned a hard fought win against Busanan Ongbumrungpan to enter the quarters.

After a disappointing opening day, which saw all the male Indian shuttlers crashing out, Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu kept Indian hopes alive at the India Open Super Series badminton tournament on Thursday, by confirming their places in the quarter-finals.

Second-seed and defending champion Saina Nehwal made light work of her opponent as she won the match in straight games against Nitchaon Jindapol of Thailand 21-19, 21-14 to set up a clash with Korean fifth seed Sung Ji Hyun. Saina led the head-to-head record of 4-0 going into the match, but found it tough after Jindapol produced a spirited effort in the first game. The duo matched each other point for point till the break, but the Thai shuttler jumped ahead to a 15-12 lead after the break to take the lead.

However, Saina bounced back by winning three points in a row and made it 15-15. The deadlock continued as the duo reached 19-19, before Saina took the bull by the horns to win 21-19. Having lost the first game agonisingly, Jindapol lost her confidence in the second game and surrendered it cheaply to the Indian with a score 21-14.

World No.11 P V Sindhu also joined Saina in the quarters, after registering a hard earned victory against Thailand's Busanan Ongbumrungphan. In a match that lasted one hour and 16 minutes, Sindhu was a bit circumspect in her play and committed too many unforced errors to allow the Thai shuttler easy points. After she lost the first game 17-21, Sindhu bounced back and win the second game 21-19, before upping the ante in the third to win it 21-16. Sindhu will face Korea's Bae Yeon Ju in the quarter-final on Friday.

The women’s doubles pair of Mohita Sahdev and Sanjana Santhosh also made it to the quarter-final on Thursday after defeating the Indian pair of Ch. Poornima and Rachita Sahdev 21-16, 21-7. They will face the Japanese pair of Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yonao in the last eight.

India Open: Saina, Sindhu advance to quarters

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