Saina beats world champion Lu Lan to make Singapore Open final
June 19th, 2010 - 7:39 pm ICT by IANSSingapore, June 19 (IANS) Indian’s star shuttler Saina Nehwal stormed into the final of the Singapore Open Super Series badminton with a spectacular victory over World Champion Lu Lan of China Saturday.
World No.6 Saina, who is the top seed in the tournament, lost the first game but bounced back to beat the fourth-seeded Chinese 8-21, 21-17, 21-8 in the semi-finals at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Saina is in line for her second Super Series title having won the Indonesian Open in June last year.
The Indian will meet qualifier Tzu Ying Tai of Chinese Taipei in the title clash. The 16-year-old, Tzu, ranked 118, beat South Korea’s Youn Joo Bae 21-16, 21-18 in the other semi-final.
Saina, who won the Indian Open Grand Prix last week, had been in irresistable form in the tournament and avenged her defeat at the hands of Chinese Li Xuerui, who stunned the Indian at home in the semi-finals of Badminton Asia Championships in April.
In the men’s singles, India’s Parupalli Kashyap went down to seventh seed Indonesian Sony Kuncoro 19-21, 20-22.
Kuncoro will face fourth seed Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand who beat veteran Peter Gade of Denmark 20-22, 21-17, 21-16.
It has been a good tournament for Kashyap, who upset third seed Tien Minh Nguyen of Vietnam in the second round and then beat campatriot Arvind Bhat to secure a semi-final place.
- Kashyap upsets Boonsak to sail into quarters in Denmark - Oct 29, 2010
- India Open Super Series: Saina makes a tearful first round exit (Roundup) - Apr 27, 2011
- Saina triumphs at Singapore to win second Super Series title (Lead) - Jun 20, 2010
- India Open: Kashyap goes down fighting in semis - Apr 28, 2012
- Chinese power on show at Asian badminton - Apr 17, 2010
- India Open Super Series: Sourabh, Sai Datt keep India's hopes alive (Lead) - Apr 28, 2011
- Saina in second round of Malaysia Open Grand Prix - May 04, 2011
- Erratic Saina loses, Indian challenge ends at Badminton Asia Championships (Lead) - Apr 17, 2010
- Saina clinches Hong Kong Super Series title - Dec 12, 2010
- Saina wins Singapore Open - Jun 20, 2010
- Saina wins her second Group match at Super Series Masters - Dec 03, 2009
- World Badminton: Jwala, Ashwini storm into semis, Saina exits (Lead) - Aug 12, 2011
- Kashyap loses in Denmark Open Super Series quarter-finals - Oct 30, 2010
- Saina wins Hong Kong Open Super Series - Dec 12, 2010
- Saina in quarterfinals of Indonesia Open - Jun 23, 2011
Tags: arvind, badminton, bae, chinese taipei, denmark, first game, grand prix, kashyap, lu, minh nguyen, peter gade, saina nehwal, semi finals, singapore indoor stadium, south korea, title clash, victory, vietnam, world champion, youn