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Saina Takes Down Sindhu to Sail Into Semis of Indonesia Masters

Saina Nehwal defeated PV Sindhu in the quarter-final of the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta on Friday.

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Former World Number 1 Saina Nehwal asserted her supremacy over Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu with a straight game victory to enter the semi-finals of the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta on Friday.

London Olympics bronze medallist Saina, who is coming back from an ankle injury, gave ample display of her powerful game as she overcame Sindhu 21-13, 21-19 in an all-Indian women's singles quarter-final clash.

Saina, who has a silver and a bronze at World Championships, will next face Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon, seeded fourth, who dumped Glasgow World Champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in another match. Saina has an 8-5 head-to-head record against Ratchanok.

Playing Sindhu for the first time outside India, Saina produced her best and never let the advantage slip after leading 3-0 early on in the first game.

Despite Sindhu fighting back and making it 4-4, Saina continued to dominate the proceedings and entered the break with a 11-9 advantage.

Saina Nehwal defeated PV Sindhu in the quarter-final of the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta on Friday.
File photo of PV Sindhu.
(Photo: AP)
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The 27-year-old continued her good run after the interval, increasing her lead to 18-10 at one stage. Sindhu manage to win three more points before the senior shuttler grabbed the opening game.

In the second game, the celebrated duo engaged in a fierce fight till 3-3 when Sindhu changed gears and jumped to a 10-5 advantage. But Saina clawed back with five straight points to make it 10-10.

Sindhu then managed to enter the lemon break with a slender 11-10 advantage. The duo fought tooth and nail till 14-14 before engaging in a long rally which left both gasping for breath.

But at the end of it, Saina had managed to lead 15-14, which she increased to 17-14.

The World Number 3 and second seed, Sindhu tried to claw back but Saina managed to keep her nose ahead and shut the door on her younger compatriot to reach her first semi-final since the World Championship in August last year.

Saina and Sindhu have clashed twice in the international circuit so far with both winning once. At the 2014 Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold, Saina defeated Sindhu, who returned the favour at the India Open Super Series last year.

London Games bronze medallist, Saina had, however, upstaged Sindhu to clinch the women's singles title in the Senior National Badminton Championship last year.

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Topics:  Saina Nehwal    PV Sindhu 

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