World Badminton Championships highlights: Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu in semis; both assured of bronze
Both Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu qualified for the women’s singles semi-finals, thereby assuring that Indian shuttlers bring home at least two medals from the World Badminton Championships. Kidambi Srikanth, however, lost his men’s singles quarterfinal earlier in the day. Get highlights of world badminton championships here.
Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu have created history. They have made sure that Indian shuttlers will bring home at least two medals from the 2017 World Badminton Championships -- something that has never happened before. Both of them will be playing their women’s singles semi-finals on Saturday. Earlier in the day, Kidambi Srikanth crashed out of the tournament after a 14-21, 18-21 defeat at the hands of top seed and World No.1 Son Wan-ho of South Korea. The loss brought to an end Kidambi’s 13-match winning streak. Get highlights of the world badminton championships here.
01:30 hrs IST: Hope you enjoyed our coverage. Thanks for joining in.
01:25 hrs IST: There is a high possibility of an all-India final too on Sunday!
01:20 hrs IST: This means that both Sindhu and Saina will play their women’s singles semi-finals on Saturday and both are assured of at least a bronze
01:15 hrs IST: The final score read 21-19, 18-21, 21-15 -- a match that lasted an hour and 14 minutes
01:10 hrs IST: And she has done it! Saina has won the game and match!
01:04 hrs IST: Kirsty saves a matchpoint
01:03 hrs IST: Matchpoint for Saina!
00:59 hrs IST: It is 18-12 now!
00:56 hrs IST: Saina needs just five points to win this match
00:54 hrs IST: Saina is slowly inching towards victory here!
00:51 hrs IST: Throughout this match, Kirsty has used the jump smash to good effect
00:50 hrs IST: Saina has a good lead of 11-5 in the deciding game after winning the first and losing the second game
00:47 hrs IST: Saina is looking much stronger in the decider than she did in the second game
00:46 hrs IST: Kirsty is trying to pull back things here!
00:44 hrs IST: Brilliant start for Saina in the decider as she leads 5-0
00:42 hrs IST: This is the first time Kirsty has won a game vs Saina
00:41 hrs IST: The match is going the distance
00:39 hrs IST: Saina lost the second game 18-21
00:34 hrs IST: Saina is losing this, looks like
00:30 hrs IST: If Saina wins, she will take on Nozomi Okuhara
00:28 hrs IST: Meanwhile, Olympic and defending champion Carolina Marin has been knocked out by Japanese seventh seed Nozomi Okuhara
00:27 hrs IST: Saina trails 9-11 in the second game
00:23 hrs IST: It is level at 6-all
00:21 hrs IST: Kirsty is not giving up so easily! She is fighting back
00:19 hrs IST: It is 3-3 in the second game!
00:17 hrs IST: So Saina maintains record of never losing a game to Kirsty. But boy was that close
00:14 hrs IST: Saina wins 1st game 21-19!
00:12 hrs IST: Wow! What a rally! 19-19
00:10 hrs IST: This is turning out to be quite a close game!
00:08 hrs IST: Mind you, Saina has never lost a game in four meetings against the Scottish 16th seed
00:07 hrs IST: Saina is trying to fight back. She won three consecutive points but lost the next two
00:06 hrs IST: Kirsty won 9 points on the trot!
00:05 hrs IST:Whoa! That was way too much AC drift
00:04 hrs IST: Kirsty is leading 11-8 at the break!
00:03 hrs IST: Saina has lost the lead! She is now trailing 8-10 in the first game!
00:02 hrs IST: Kirsty is the only Scottish player left in the tournament, playing in front of her home crowd
00:01 hrs IST: Also Kirsty has the support of this Scottish crowd
23:55 hrs IST: Saina has a perfect 4-0 record against Kirsty but their last meeting was way back in 2014. This is a very different Scottish player Saina is playing against.
23:53 hrs IST: Saina leads 6-2!
23:48 hrs IST: The girls are on court and the match is about to begin
23:41 hrs IST: We are moments away from Saina’s match!
23:17 hrs IST: If Saina wins, she will take on the winner of the match between Japanese seventh seed Nozomi Okuhara or Spain’s defending champion Carolina Marin
23:06 hrs IST: So far Sindhu’s match has been the shortest of the day
22:46 hrs IST: How long do you think this quarterfinal will last?
22:34 hrs IST: One more match before Saina’s match starts
22:20 hrs IST: She achieved this feat when she reached the final in 2015, the last time the tournament was played
22:10 hrs IST: Saina is the only Indian shuttler who has won a silver at the World Championships
21:47 hrs IST: The evening session has started at the Emirates Arena
21:20 hrs IST: Can India assure themselves of another medal at the worlds via Saina?
21:00 hrs IST: “I am happy with the way I played today and pleased with the results. Even though I won, I must admit that Sun Yu is not an easy player to play against and the last time I played her I lost (in Dubai). I went on the court thinking I need to give my best and play my game. It wasn’t easy and each point was important to me, even though I was leading. Many people tell me - in the bigger events you really play well. I shouldn’t take it easy and have to prepare for tomorrow. She is a good player and is playing well. It is never easy in the semi-final of World Championships as anything can happen. I have to be prepared for everything,” said Sindhu.
20:50 hrs IST: She plays another Chinese next up
20:44 hrs IST: Will Sindhu be able to qualify for her maiden final?
20:42 hrs IST: And this is what Sindhu has to say about after her win
20:20 hrs IST: However, the last time Saina played Kirsty was back in 2014
20:10 hrs IST: “He played really well and I made too many mistakes. I did not play to my potential as I would have liked. It is not about momentum or anything. Even when I was playing the first match of the tournament I did not think that I had won the last 10 matches. I just wanted to play well in that match. But that did not happen today. Sindhu played really well and did not give any chance to her opponent today. She can very well go on and win the championship,” Srikanth told Hindustan Times from Glasgow after his quarterfinal loss to South Korean top seed Son Wan-ho.
20:00 hrs IST: Saina has never lost against Kirsty in all their previous four meetings
19:54 hrs IST: She takes on local player and 16th seed Kirsty Gilmour in the quarterfinals
19:35 hrs IST: Saina Nehwal will be playing her women’s singles quarterfinal later in the day
19:00 hrs IST: She will take on another Chinese Chen Yufei in the women’s singles semi-finals on Saturday
18:57 hrs IST: Her match lasted only 39 minutes
18:53 hrs IST: Now assured of at least a third bronze, she is the only Indian to ever win more than one medal at the prestigious annual event!
18:50 hrs IST: Sindhu had won bronze medals at the World Championships in 2013 and 2014 too
18:47 hrs IST: Sindhu has won 21-14, 21-9. She has entered the women’s singles semi-finals as is assured of a bronze!
18:44 hrs IST: Sindhu is one point away from yet another semi-final at the Worlds
18:43 hrs IST: Three consecutive points for the Indian!
18:41 hrs IST: Sindhu smashes way beyond the line! She is giving away points here
18:39 hrs IST: This has been quite comprehensive performance from Sindhu so far, the way she has played as she leads 13-7 in the second game
18:38 hrs IST: Sindhu now leads 11-4 at the break and coach Gopichand is there to have a few words with her
18:37 hrs IST: Too many errors for Sun Yu and Sindhu now leads 10-4
18:35 hrs IST: Sindhu now leads 8-4
18:33 hrs IST: Sindhu lost the point but brilliant court coverage from the Indian!
18:30 hrs IST: Sindhu has raced away to a 4-0 lead
18:28 hrs IST: The 2nd game has begun and Sindhu is moving brilliantly on the court! What a smashing way to win the first point!
18:27 hrs IST: And that was quite easy as the Indian has won the game 21-14 in less than 19 minutes!
18:24 hrs IST: Sindhu is two points away from taking the lead in the match
18:21 hrs IST: Wait! Let us not jump the gun as the Chinese is fighting back! She has won 4 straight points
18:19 hrs IST: Sindhu is not aggressive at all and she does not need to be as she is winning this game quite easily
18:17 hrs IST: Another point and this is proving to be too easy for Sindhu. Sun Yu is proving to be no match for the Indian shuttler
18:16 hrs IST: This has been quite a comfortable first half of the first game as the Indian holds a healthy lead over the World No.6 Chinese
18:15 hrs IST: A line judgement error from Sun Yu and Sindhu leads 11-4 at the break
18:12 hrs IST: Defensive and safe play from both the girls but Sindhu wins the point with a sliced smash
18:11 hrs IST: The Indian shuttler is clearly more confident of the two and is currently leading 7-4
18:09 hrs IST: An error from Sun Yu and Sindhu now leads 4-3
18:07 hrs IST: Three consecutive points for Sindhu and she leads 3-1
18:06 hrs IST: It has begun!
18:03 hrs IST: The girls are on the court!
18:02 hrs IST: Vikton Axelsen has won and it is time for Sindhu’s match!
18:00 hrs IST: We are only moments away from Sindhu’s quarterfinal
17:50 hrs IST: And she will be vying for her third and a better medal this time around
17:45 hrs IST: PV Sindhu is the only Indian to have won two World Championships medals - both bronze - in the past
17:31 hrs IST: Chou Tien Chen has won the second game! This quarterfinal is going the distance!
17:15 hrs IST: Meanwhile, Viktor Axelsen has won the first game against Chou Tien Chen
17:11 hrs IST: This will be the first meeting Sindhu and Sun Yu this year
17:05 hrs IST: Lin Dan has entered the semi-finals of yet another World Championship and will take on the top seed Son Wan-ho, who earlier in the day defeated Kidambi Srikanth
17:00 hrs IST: World No.4 Sindhu has a 3-4 record against her World No.6 opponent
16:55 hrs IST: This will be eighth meeting between Sindhu and Sun
16:45 hrs IST: After that Indian fourth seed PV Sindhu will play her women’s singles quarterfinal against Chinese fifth seed Sun Yu
16:42 hrs IST: Next up is Chinese Taipei sixth seed Chou Tien Chen vs Danish third seed Viktor Axelsen in men’s singles
16:36 hrs IST: Chen Yufei has knocked out former World Champion Ratchanok Intanon!
16:17 hrs IST: Chen Yufei has taken the second game 21-16 to level up her quarterfinal match against Ratchanok Intanon.
16:00 hrs IST: PV Sindhu will face China’s Sun Yu in her quarterfinal match today. The two players have met seven time in the past, with Sindhu winning three matches and Yu winning four.
15:50 hrs IST: In the second match of the day, Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon has won the first game 21-14 against China’s Chen Yufei.
15:29 hrs IST: It’s all over for Kidambi Srikanth, goes down 14-21, 18-21 to Son Wan ho.
15:25 hrs IST: 18-19. Kidambi is fighting back! Will it be enough?
15:23 hrs IST: 15-19 now. Kidambi cannot afford to drop a point here.
15:20 hrs IST: Kidambi makes it 12-16, but Son wins the next point.
15:19 hrs IST: 11-16 now. Can he fight back?
15:19 hrs IST: Two consecutive points for Kidambi. 10-16 on his serve.
15:18 hrs IST: A smash from Kidambi reduces Son’s lead to 8-16.
15:14 hrs IST: Son races to a 15-5 lead in the second game. Kidambi’s hopes of a semifinal spot looking grim after every point.
15:10 hrs IST: This is going according to plan for Son. He leads 11-4 at the break in the second game.
15:07 hrs IST: Kidambi claws back a point to make it 3-8. Can he fight back from here?
15:05 hrs IST: A very strong start by Son in the second game as he races to a 5-2 lead.
15:00 hrs IST: Kidambi Srikanth loses the opening game 14-21. Can he bounce back in the second game?
14:58 hrs IST: It’s 14-20 in the opening game. Son has six game points.
14:56 hrs IST: Son wins the next four points, before Kidambi claws back a point. Advantage Son, as things stand.
14:52 hrs IST: Son Wan Ho dives unsuccessfully to his right in an attempt to reach a Kidambi Srikanth smash. The Indian is on serve at 12-13.
14:49 hrs IST: Son Wan Ho wins the next three points to head into the break with an 11-8 lead.
14:47 hrs IST: Brilliant attacking badminton on display. Kidambi smashes successfully to make it 8-8 in the first game.
14:45 hrs IST: Son wins the seventh point to take a 6-1 lead, but a smash and a lob from him in the next two points go out, before he smashes the next into the net. Kidambi makes it 5-6 in the next point.
14:42 hrs IST: Son steps up a gear to win the next four points. 5-1 to the South Korean.
14:38 hrs IST: Son draws first blood, wins the first point of the match. Kidambi forces Son into an error in the next point to make it 1-1.
14:30 hrs IST: Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the World Badminton Championships. Kidambi Srikanth will shortly be up against top seed Son Wan Ho in the quarterfinals.
The BWF world badminton championships have really seen some close matches in Glasgow. Five-time champion Lin Dan was pushed to three games again to reach the quarterfinals on Thursday. Lin defeated European champion Rajiv Ouseph 14-21, 21-17, 21-16. (DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS)
On Thursday, defending two-time champion Chen Long, Olympic bronze medallist Viktor Axelsen, top-seeded Son Wan Ho, and the in-form Kidambi Srikanth all advanced.
Son will try to pass the worlds quarterfinals for the first time at the expense of Kidambi Srikanth, riding a 13-match winning streak. They are 4-4 in head to heads, but Kidambi won both of their matches this year.
The top two women’s seeds lost, to no great surprise, but the survivors included past champions Carolina Marin of Spain and Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand.
Chen Yufei, the junior world champion from China, beat women’s No. 1 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 21-18, 21-19. It was Chen’s first win in their four matchups, including losses this year in the Asian team championships and Australian Open. But Yamaguchi hasn’t been a closer, and couldn’t impose herself.
Carolina Marin hardly broke a sweat again, and lined up Nozomi Okuhara of Japan, whom she has a 3-5 record against, and 1-1 this year.
Saina Nehwal, the former No. 1 chasing her first world title, took out second-seeded Sung Ji-hyun of South Korea 21-19, 21-15. She next faces inspired local Kirsty Gilmour, who lives 15 minutes away.
Another Indian, Rio Olympics runner-up PV Sindhu, will play Sun Yu of China in another quarterfinal.
See Day 3 (Wednesday) highlights here: