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Quarter-final recap Jakarta: It took Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal seven years and six attempts to finally enter her maiden singles semi-finals to assure herself of at least a bronze medal at the World Championships here on Friday. In a marathon match that lasted an hour and 12 minutes at the 9,000-seater Istora Senayan, World No.2 Saina came out with a sensational performance to oust former World Champion Yihan Wang of China 21-15, 19-21, 21-19 and advance to the last four stage. [caption id=“attachment_2393912” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
Saina Nehwal has reached her first world championships semi-final. AFP[/caption] Losing semi-finalists at Worlds are assured of a bronze while the finalists fight for the gold. Expectations were also high from P.V. Sindhu and the doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, all three being previous Worlds bronze medallists, but they faltered at the quarter-finals earlier in the day. Coming back to Saina, this was the second seed’s only third win out of 12 meetings against the former World No.1 and also her second consecutive victory after also trumping the Chinese at the All England Open in March. Saina will now take on local girl Lindaweni Fanetri for a place in the summit clash, against whom the Olympic bronze medallist has a 2-1 advantage in career meetings. The 25-year-old Indian has been having a go at the Worlds since 2009 but each time she faltered in the quarter-finals. In the last match of the day, World No.6 Yihan took off aggressively, reaching the net and trying to smash everything at Saina. But the Hyderabadi upped the ante to bring out her regal form, level the game at the 11-point mark and then took a lead which she kept increasing. Some brilliant deceptive shots made sure the Hisar-born clinched the first game with ease as Yihan was not able to keep pace with the Indian. Saina took the momentum into the second game where she raced away to a 13-9 lead. But Yihan suddenly found her legs to clinch the next eight points and take a 17-13 advantage. Yihan reached gamepoint at 20-17. Saina saved two gamepoints but could not manage to save the third as Yihan pushed the match into the decider on her third attempt. Though Saina trailed the sixth seed throughout the third game, she made sure her score stayed close to Yihan. The second seed fought extremely hard to finally level at 18-point mark and then took the lead at 19-18. Yihan, by now, looked fatigued while Saina appeared more positive which showed in the next couple of minutes as the latter clinched two more points to create history in the Indonesian capital. Earlier, it was a case of so near and yet so far for Sindhu and the duo of Jwala and Ashwini as they suffered quarter-final defeats to miss out on the Worlds medals. Double World Championships bronze medallist Sindhu was eying a hat-trick in the prestigious tournament. But a three-game loss in an hour and 22 minutes to South Korean eighth seed Sung Ji Hyun dashed any hopes of Sindhu winning a women’s singles medal for the third consecutive year. Hopes were high from the 20-year-old after she ousted reigning Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China on Thursday but those expectations they fell flat as the Hyderabadi lost 17-21, 21-19, 16-21, her second consecutive defeat to Sung in five career meetings. In the first match of the day, women’s doubles 13th seeds Jwala and Ashwini were looking to repeat their 2011 Worlds performance when they clinched the bronze, but several errors against the unseeded Japanese combine of Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yonaoat cost them the match. In the end, the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallists lost 23-25, 14-21 in 46 minutes. This was the first match between the two pairs. Indians have won only four bronze medals at the Worlds till date. Prakash Padukone became the first Indian to win the metal in 1983 in men’s singles. India had to wait for another 28 years when Jwala and Ashwini clinched the bronze in 2011. Since then, Sindhu won two back-to-back bronzes in 2013 and 2014.
Badminton World Championship semis as it happened: Saina makes history by beating Fanetri 21-17, 21-17
Live coverage of the badminton World Championship between World No. 2 Saina Nehwal and unseeded Lindaweni Fanetri.
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Game Two: Saina 21 – 17 Fanetri
AND THAT’S IT! SAINA NEHWAL IS THROUGH TO THE FINAL OF THE WORLD BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIP!
Fanetri missed a cross-court smash to give Saina a 21-17, 21-17 win. Saina throws her arms up in triumph and breaks into a smile. You can see the relief on her face too.
Game Two: Saina 19 – 17 Fanetri
But she gets one point closer to the final with a lovely drop shot that Fanetri can’t return. Two points away from making Indian sports history.
Game Two: Saina 18 – 17 Fanetri
Then it is Saina’s turn to find the net. This is getting very tense. Saina is making a remarkble number of unforced errors.
Game Two: Saina 18 – 16 Fanetri
Saina wins a long rally when Fanetri finds the net with an attempted cross-court smash.
Game Two: Saina 17 – 16 Fanetri
Saina ups the tempo and an easy kill shot gives her a three-point lead. But she follows it up with another error and then Fanetri threads a smash down the line to pull within one.
Game Two: Saina 16 – 14 Fanetri
Fanetri missed a smash down the line on the backhand side and Saina edges ahead again. Can she keep herself there?
Game Two: Saina 14 – 14 Fanetri
Saina challenges the call when the ball is called in on the backline but Hawkeye finds in Fanetri’s favour. We are once again all tied up.
Game Two: Saina 14 – 13 Fanetri
A couple more errors allows Fanetri to close the gap again. Saina’s footwork has become a little static all of a sudden. Could the occasion be getting to her?
Game Two: Saina 14 – 12 Fanetri
Saina gets a little separation wiht a couple of quick points before she misses another smash wide. Saina’s playing a little tight at the moment.
Game Two: Saina 12 – 11 Fanetri
A lovely smash down the line gives Saina the lead again. It comes right after she hit another shot long. These two still trading points.
Game Two: Saina 11 – 10 Fanetri
Fanetri’s turn to push the shuttle long but then Saina muffs a simple kill, knocking the shuttle into the net when she had an empty half court to aim for. She does win the next point to take the smallest of leads into the break. There have been 8 lead changes in this game so far. Neither player has been able to impose herself.
Game Two: Saina 8 – 8 Fanetri
Saina not able to pull way from Fanetri, who moves Saina around the court to draw the error as Saina pushes a backhand long. This match is far from over.
Game Two: Saina 6 – 5 Fanetri
A couple of errors from Fanetri allows Saina to draw level and then Fanetri lets the shuttle drop deep in the forehand corner but it drops right on the line.
Game Two: Saina 3 – 5 Fanetri
The judge has a word with Saina but I am not sure what it was about. In the meantime, Fanetri has taken the lead in the second game.
Game Two: Saina 3 – 3 Fanetri
A lovely cross-court drop from Saina completely deceives her opponent, who was expecting a smash. But Fanetri comes right back again to even it up at 3 points a piece.
Game Two: Saina 2 – 2 Fanetri
Fanetri pays Saina back with a gorgeous drop shot of her own. Saina can’t get close to it.
Game Two: Saina 2 – 1 Fanetri
Saina takes the early lead in the second game with a drop shot that Fanetri has to dive full length to try and get. Fanetri is slow to get up and the commentator is worried about her knee.
Saina 21 – 17 Fanetri
Fanetri dumps a backhand into the net to give Saina a game point. She wins the first game 21-17 with a forehand into Fanetri’s forehand corner that she can’t reach. First blood to Saina.
Fanetri 17 – 19 Saina
Another smash from Fanetri wins another long rally. She is getting the better of the longer points at the moment, which is surprising. Saina counters with a smash of her own down the middle.
Fanetri 16 – 18 Saina
Saina gets her nose in front again, this time the shuttle lands just wide when she lets it go.
Fanetri 16 – 16 Saina
Anotehr long rally is won by Fanetri with a fabulous cross-court smash to Saina’s backhand that the world No. 2 can’t handle. Some fist pumps from Fanetri too. We have officially entered squeaky bum territory, as Sir Alex Ferguson would say.
Fanetri 15 – 15 Saina
Saina still doesn’t seem to have her rane. Another forehand goes wide and then she misses a drop shot as well. These are not typical errors from her. Perhaps the occasion and her opponent’s injury have distracted her?
Fanetri 13 – 14 Saina
Saina challengs a call when her smash is called long but replays show it missed the line by a good few inches. Fanetri then wins the next point as well when Saina pushes her shot wide to the backhand side. Fanetri is not going away.
Fanetri 11 – 14 Saina
Saina starting to pull away now. She is moving Fanetri all over the court and is looking th sharper player at the moment. Fanetri appears to be moving with more freedom now though.
Fanetri 11 – 12 Saina
A smart smash gives Saina a point before she pushes a forehand long. Shorter points after the break.
Fanetri 10 – 11 Saina
After a gruelling long rally that Saina wins by pushing a backhand deep into the corner, the players get a much needed break. Saina has her nose ahead now.
Fanetri 10 – 10 Saina
Saina uncharacteristically foot faults to hand Fanetri a point. All tied up at the half-way stage of the first game.
Fanetri 9 – 10 Saina
Saina takes the lead after a longish rally that ends with Fanetri pushing the shuttle wide.
Fanetri 9 – 9 Saina
Saina draws level for the first time since 1-1 when Fanetri flashes a forehand well wide.
Fanetri 8 – 7 Saina
Saina again allows the shuttle to drop in but Fanetri is clearly struggling. She has very limited mobility and can’t get close to a Saina drop shot.
Fanetri 7 – 6 Saina
Fanetri has suddenly left the court and appears to be in some discomfort. She is wearing a knee brace and needs medical attention. She hobbles back onto the court after some attention from the trainer.
Tariq Engineer is a sports tragic who willingly forgoes sleep for the pleasure of watching live events around the globe on television. His dream is to attend all four tennis Grand Slams and all four golf Grand Slams in the same year, though he is prepared to settle for Wimbledon and the Masters.