Highlights, Denmark Open 2018 results: Saina Nehwal beats Nozomi Okuhara to enter semis; Kidambi Srikanth wins
Catch the live scores and updates of the quarter-final matches at the Denmark Open as Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth and Sameer Verma eye place in the semi-finals.
 "Highlights, Denmark Open 2018 results: Saina Nehwal beats Nozomi Okuhara to enter semis; Kidambi Srikanth wins")
That brings us to the end of today’s play at the Denmark Open.
Overall, a good day for Indian shuttlers. Srikanth edges past Sameer to enter semis, while Saina brushed aside another Japanese shuttler Okuhara in three games. Hope you enjoyed our coverage. We’ll be back tomorrow. Until then, take care!
Indians
Srikanth faces World No 1 Momota
Saina faces Gregoria Mariska of Indonesia
Hirota and Fukushima enter semis
The World No 1 pair dominated the Indian duo of Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy 21-14, 21-12. They couldn’t match the pace of the game and had a minimal on-court combination.
ICYMI: Here’s a short clip to sum up Saina’s win over Nozomi Okuhara in the quarter-finals.
DANISA DENMARK OPEN 2018 | Badminton WS - QF - Highlights #badminton #HSBCBWFbadminton pic.twitter.com/jb8Kdv7eUs
— BWF (@bwfmedia) October 19, 2018
15-7! Sikki Reddy is a little too slow at the net as she finds it difficult to break down the Japanese pair’s defence.
11-7! A four-point lead for Hirota and Fukushima
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) October 19, 2018
India's doubles coach Tan Kim Her looks worried as Ponnappa and Reddy struggle at the net
LIVE: https://t.co/O996Ad1e6W#DenmarkOpen2018
Hirota-Fukushima win first game: 21-14
Sixteen minutes to the openings and the Japanese shuttler have proved their class with elan. Ponnappa and Reddy haven’t really trouled.
16-6! Eight straight points for the top seeds from Japan. They’re a step ahead of Ponnappa and Reddy at the net.
Ashwini and Sikki are yet to gel as a pair. Hirota and Fukushima have combined well so far.
India's Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy trail 6-11 at the mid-game break of the opening game against Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota of Japan
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) October 19, 2018
LIVE: https://t.co/O996AdiOYu#DenmarkOpen2018
Women’s doubles
Next up, India’s Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy face Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota of Japan in the women’s doubles quarter-finals.
The two pairs met at the World Badminton Championships earlier this year, where the Japanese duo won 21-14, 21-15.
Saina powers into semis!
The former champion beats reigning world champion Nozomi Okuhara 17-21, 21-16, 21-12 to enter the semi-finals. Saina used her strategies really well to stretch Nozomi Okuhara, who was forced to play from the back of the court. Full marks to Saina for adhering to the plan and hitting winners.
17-9! Saina ability to use her variations has unsettled Okuhara, who looks jaded since the mid-game break.
14-5! Saina has pushed Okuhara towards the back of the court. Kashyap would be really happy to see how Saina responded to rallies.
Okuhara looks in deep trouble.
An 11-3 advantage for Saina at the change of ends
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) October 19, 2018
Okuhara looks a little dispirited at the moment. Meanwhile, Saina has been mixing her shots perfectly
LIVE: https://t.co/O996AdiOYu#DenmarkOpen2018
10-3! Nine of the last 10 points have been in favour of Saina. One-way traffic at the moment. She has been more judicious in her strokeplay.
7-3! Saina has a healthy lead over Okuhara, who has made far too many errors at the net.
Saina makes it 1-1!
A proven fighter. Saina Nehwal gets the better of Okuhara after the interval to wrap up the second game 21-16. The Indian shuttler looks a little more aggressive, while Okuhara a little dispirited.
Can Saina go all the way?
16-14! Saina has been aggressive and has taken the initiative to go for the kill. Great shot-selection by the Indian shuttler.
Kashyap, who is sitting behind Saina, has been constantly asking Saina to push Okuhara towards the back. He looks animated.
11-10! Okuhara has a slender lead over Saina at the mid-game break of the second game
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) October 19, 2018
Parupalli Kashyap is asking Saina to push her opponent towards the backcourt. Will this strategy work for the 28-year-old shuttler?
LIVE: https://t.co/O996AdiOYu#DenmarkOpen2018
6-3! Saina has committed a lot of errors at the net. It’s not a great idea to challenge Okuhara art the net.
4-2! Saina is just chasing the shuttle now. She hasn’t done anything notable so far to trouble Okuhara, She trails by two-points
Okuhara claims opening game: 21-16
The reigning world champion always maintained the pressure on Saina throughout the match. Saina did try to reply by staying resilient but Okuhara mastered the net game to go 1-0 up.
19-13! Okuhara is extremely good in making her opponent work around all four corners of the court. Other shuttlers would be really envious of her ability to run around and retrieve.
12-15! It’s true that Saina is known for her fighting spirit. She isn’t giving up against Okuhara as she closes the gap with delicate crosscourt drop shots.
14-8! Okuhara is running away with the lead. The Japanese shuttler has controlled the tempo of the rallies and made Saina put extra efforts to lift the shuttle.
Break time!
Okuhara leads 11-6 at the mid-game interval of the first game
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) October 19, 2018
Saina hasn't been able to use the drift perfectly
LIVE: https://t.co/O996AdiOYu#DenmarkOpen2018
8-4! Okuhara has used the drift of the court to her advantage. Saina, meanwhile, has looked tired after playing 20 shots in the rallies.
3-0! Misplaced shots by Saina quite early in the opening game. Okuhara looks settled on the mid-court.
Popcorn? Ready? Love all-play!
.@NSaina is in action against reigning world champion @nozomi_o11 in the quarter-finals
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) October 19, 2018
Catch the live updates here
LIVE: https://t.co/O996AdiOYu#DenmarkOpen2018 pic.twitter.com/cV61zzF947
Nozomi Okuhara vs Saina Nehwal
In the wake of the shock loss suffered by her compatriot, PV Sindhu, in the opening round of the $775,000 prize money event, Saina was saddled with the task of carrying the Indian pennant forward in the women’s singles, for a quarter-final duel on Friday against Nozomi Okuhara of Japan.
The eighth-seeded 2017 world champion, meanwhile, efficiently dispatched her fellow-countrywoman, Saena Kawakami, by a 21-15, 21-14 margin, after beating Thailand’s Nitchaon Jindapol by a much tighter scoreline at 21-19, 21-18 in her opening joust.
Okuhara, it will be remembered, saved four match-points against Saina in the quarter-finals of the Korea Open, and won the final six points of their no-holds-barred encounter, to go on to successfully defend her crown in Seoul. Friday’s meeting – the 11th between the two, with the Indian leading 6-4, but with defeats in their most recent three duels – will give the Gopichand Academy trainee a gilt-edged opportunity of gaining revenge for her heart-breaking reverse at the last-eight stage of the Korea Open.
SRIKANTH EDGES PAST SAMEER!
What a match, what a brilliant match! Both Srikanth and Sameer exhibited end-to-end stuff as all the three games presented the best of attacking badminton. However, it was the defending champion to had the last laugh as he registers a narrow 22-20, 19-21, 23-21 win.
Srikanth will face World No 1 Kento Momota tomorrow!
20-20!
It’s all happening here. Told you all, there’s hardly anything to separate the two Indian shuttlers. This is the third consecutive match that has gone down the wire.
18-18! Oh, there’s a sign of a late comeback here.
Srikanth levels the score in the deciding game. A rare lapse of concentration from Sameer cost him three points.
17-13! Sameer has raced to a four-point lead over Srikanth, who seems to be under pressure here.
Sameer is inching closer towards causing an upset!
11-7! Sameer Verma looks in great touch as he opens up a four-point lead over defending champion Srikanth
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) October 19, 2018
LIVE: https://t.co/O996AdiOYu#DenmarkOpen2018
The third and final game is underway!
3-3! There is nothing, absolutely nothing to separate these two Pullela Gopichand Academy graduates. Srikanth and Sameer have played some great forehand strokes.
Sameer Verma makes it 1-1!
Great stuff from Sameer to snatch the second game 21-19 from Srikanth. Time for the deciding game here. Both shuttlers look really pumped up after 48 minutes of attacking badminton.
16-16!
What a tight encounter this is turning out to be. Both players are now locked at 16 points. Srikanth looks aggressive but has struggled defensively.
A two-point lead for Srikanth at the break. Has he found his touch then?
Srikanth leads 11-9 at the mid-game interval of the second game
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) October 19, 2018
Can Sameer find a way to make a comeback?
LIVE: https://t.co/O996Ad1e6W#DenmarkOpen2018
4-4! These two are not going to back off so easily. The rallies are starting to build slowly. Both Srikanth and Sameer have played some neat net shots in the second game.
22-20 in favour of Sri
Sameer must be feeling terrible after missing out on bagging the opening game by a whisker. He troubled the defending champion but it wasn’t enough as Srikanth found his rhythm just in time.
20-20!
Yes, Sameer levels the score. This is an exciting battle between the two naturally attacking shuttlers.
19-18! Sameer manages to close the gap on Srikanth’s lead but is still trailing by a point. Is there some room for a comeback?
18-15! What a turnaround
Srikanth pips the defensive Sameer to open up a three-point lead. Now that was a surprise. Five straight points for the defending champion!
15-13! Sameer extends his lead as he targets the backhand side of Srikanth. He has controlled the pace of the rallies too.
11-10! Sameer has a slender lead over Srikanth at the mid-game break of the opening game.
Interestingly, both players have attacked right from the beginning. Sameer lacks variation but his agility can upset Srikanth.
The two Indian men’s singles are in action.
Defending champion Kidambi Srikanth against Sameer Verma. This is the very first meeting between the two.
Tai Tzu Ying makes it look so easy.
DANISA DENMARK OPEN 2018 | Badminton WS - QF - Highlights #badminton #HSBCBWFbadminton pic.twitter.com/byzkEdqXVu
— BWF (@bwfmedia) October 19, 2018
Kento Momota through to semis
World No 1 Momota gets the better of Khosit of Thailand 21-13, 21-9 in just 37 minutes to book a place into the last four of the competition. The Japanese shuttler is the favourite to win the tournament. Only a couple of shuttlers have managed to trouble him this season.
READ: India’s finest and most consistent player of this last decade, Saina Nehwal, strode majestically into the final eight with a commanding victory over World No 2, Akane Yamaguchi of Japan
Women’s singles update: Tai and He enter last-4
Tai Tzu Ying beats Chen Yufel 21-13, 12-21, 21-9 to enter the semi-finals. The deciding game was all about Tai’s stoke variation. She read Chen’s movements perfectly to unsettle her opponent.
He Bingjiao trounces compatriot Cai Yanyan 21-13, 21-16. A rather easy win for the young Chinese shuttler.
Mixed Doubles
Seo Seung Jae/Chae Yujung of Korea defeated sixth seed Chan Peng Soon/Goh Liu Ying 21-14,17-21, 21-12 to enter the semi-finals.
Mixed MAGIC Doubles #badminton #HSBCBWFbadminton pic.twitter.com/BOTv8g66Tb
— BWF (@bwfmedia) October 19, 2018
Results:
In the women’s singles, the scores are tied between World No 1 and Chen Yufei of China. Tai claimed the first game 21-13 before Chen wrapped up the second 21-12 to enforce a decider
Meanwhile, China’s He Bingjiao takes the opening game 21-13 against compatriot Cai Yanyan, who defeated Ratchanok Intanon in the previous round.
Matches to watch out for:
Tai Tzu Ying vs Chen Yufei
Chou Tien Chen vs Son Wan Ho
Anders Antonsen vs Huang Yuxiang
Nozomi Okuhara vs Saina Nehwal
Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota vs Ashwini Ponnappa/Sikki Reddy
Cai Yanyan vs He Bingjiao
Kidambi Srikanth vs Sameer Verma
Gregoria Mariska vs Line Højmark Kjaersfeldt
Khosit Phetpradab vs Kento Momota
Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s live coverage of the Denmark Open. India’s Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth, Sameer Verma and women’s doubles pair Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy will be in action today.
Catch all the live updates here. Stay tuned!
Find us on YouTube
Top Shows
 "German Open: Treesa-Gayatri pair bow out after straight-game defeat to China's Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min")
 "What's it like inside the Jamnagar tents for VIP guests at Anant Ambani, Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding festivities")
 "Who is Mathias Boe - the former badminton player set to marry actor Taapsee Pannu")
 "Bring a law to free sports from politicians, bureaucrats: Pullela Gopichand")
 "German Open: Treesa-Gayatri pair bow out after straight-game defeat to China's Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min")
 "What's it like inside the Jamnagar tents for VIP guests at Anant Ambani, Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding festivities")
 "Who is Mathias Boe - the former badminton player set to marry actor Taapsee Pannu")
 "Bring a law to free sports from politicians, bureaucrats: Pullela Gopichand")