Saina Nehwal got a stiff workout — a typical long match with longer rallies — against Japanese Sayaka Sato as she headed into her first decisive Friday knockout in a long while, returning from surgery and rehab at Hong Kong on Thursday.
The 51-minute 21-19, 9-21, 21-16 win had got edgy at 15-14 in the third game, but the Indian showed her class in pulling away from a potential climactic scrap and entering the quarters.
Nehwal is a match away from running into compatriot PV Sindhu in the semis — which will be only their second international face-off, should both win on Friday. But the enticing duel aside, the Round 2 win was crucial for Nehwal’s confidence after she overturned another result in her opening round against Thai Porntip Buranaprasertsuk – a 56 minute contest.
It was normal service resumed as Nehwal — who’s been the epitome of consistency — made the familiar last 8, which until the injury was considered commonplace for her. The London Olympics bronze medallist and Worlds runners-up had shrugged off her Round 1 loss in China — her first match since her return — and looked to be getting into the groove.
“Another big victory today against world number 11 from Japan …Sayaka sato .Happy to see that I m improving every match” (sic),” she tweeted soon after.
Nehwal had said that her confidence of having beaten the Thai before had propelled her through the long match when the slow shuttles protracted the battle.
She next meets Hong Kong’s 23-year-old Cheung Ngan Yi, who made the semifinals in Denmark last month.
The Indian 26-year-old won their only previous match at last year’s World Championship.
Continuing her fine run from China, Sindhu was clinical in beating Hsu Ya Ching of Taipei 21-10, 21-14. The China Open champ meets Singaporean Xiaoyu Liang. The two had played a tricky 24-22 first game in a Commonwealth Games team event match, which Sindhu won eventually. Much has changed for the Indian since that 2014 hiccup, and she will hope to string another good week after the title triumph last week.
Her potential square-off with Nehwal is terribly exciting for Indian fans, though Sindhu would want the run to culminate in a second successive title.
There was good news for India’s men’s singles players with Sameer Verma following up on his shock win over Japanese Takuma Ueda with another over Kazumasa Sakai — a scorching 19-21, 21-15, 21-11 come-from behind victory for his first quarterfinal of a Super Series meet.
Finally, Ajay Jayram was convincing in his 21-18, 21-19 downing of Chinese Huang Yuxiang. “Good win today. The conditions here are tricky due to the drift. But I did well from both ends and control.
The 51-minute 21-19, 9-21, 21-16 win had got edgy at 15-14 in the third game, but the Indian showed her class in pulling away from a potential climactic scrap and entering the quarters.
Nehwal is a match away from running into compatriot PV Sindhu in the semis — which will be only their second international face-off, should both win on Friday. But the enticing duel aside, the Round 2 win was crucial for Nehwal’s confidence after she overturned another result in her opening round against Thai Porntip Buranaprasertsuk – a 56 minute contest.
It was normal service resumed as Nehwal — who’s been the epitome of consistency — made the familiar last 8, which until the injury was considered commonplace for her. The London Olympics bronze medallist and Worlds runners-up had shrugged off her Round 1 loss in China — her first match since her return — and looked to be getting into the groove.
“Another big victory today against world number 11 from Japan …Sayaka sato .Happy to see that I m improving every match” (sic),” she tweeted soon after.
Nehwal had said that her confidence of having beaten the Thai before had propelled her through the long match when the slow shuttles protracted the battle.
She next meets Hong Kong’s 23-year-old Cheung Ngan Yi, who made the semifinals in Denmark last month.
The Indian 26-year-old won their only previous match at last year’s World Championship.
Continuing her fine run from China, Sindhu was clinical in beating Hsu Ya Ching of Taipei 21-10, 21-14. The China Open champ meets Singaporean Xiaoyu Liang. The two had played a tricky 24-22 first game in a Commonwealth Games team event match, which Sindhu won eventually. Much has changed for the Indian since that 2014 hiccup, and she will hope to string another good week after the title triumph last week.
Her potential square-off with Nehwal is terribly exciting for Indian fans, though Sindhu would want the run to culminate in a second successive title.
There was good news for India’s men’s singles players with Sameer Verma following up on his shock win over Japanese Takuma Ueda with another over Kazumasa Sakai — a scorching 19-21, 21-15, 21-11 come-from behind victory for his first quarterfinal of a Super Series meet.
Finally, Ajay Jayram was convincing in his 21-18, 21-19 downing of Chinese Huang Yuxiang. “Good win today. The conditions here are tricky due to the drift. But I did well from both ends and control.
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