Saina Nehwal vs Li Xuerui China Open: Indian Ace Disappoints in the Summit Clash

Saina Nehwal will lock horns with Li Xuerui in the summit clash of the women's singles final of the $700,000 China Open Superseries Premier in Fuzhou. Although the reigning Olympic champion Xuerui, who has a domineering 9-2 record against Saina, the Hyderabadi will be hoping to better the record against her Chinese also having won the last five encounters between them. (LATEST NEWS) 

14:30 hrs IST:  A dominant Li Xuerui seals the China Open! Saina Nehwal falters at the final battle as she loses the second game 21-15. Saina couldn't match the speed and precision of the reigning Olympic champion and despite taking lead in both the games, she squandered it some unforced errors. Final Score: Li Xuerui beat Saina Nehwal 21-12, 21-15.      

14:20 hrs IST: Li Xuerui has adopted a strategy to stay back and it seems to be working as she has now taken a lead in the second game. With the crowd behind her, Xuerui is cancelling out Saina's superior reach and her reflexes are complimenting her well. 

14:15 hrs IST: An animated Vimal Kumar is giving instructions to Saina Nehwal -- perhaps the coach trying his best to motivate the top seed to close the game as soon as possible as the players head for a break. Saina leading 11-6 vs Xuerui.  

14:15 hrs IST: Saina Nehwal has begun much better this time. The second game too has a similar feel to it with Saina taking an impressive lead only for the dominant Xuerui use her experience and  cancel out on the lead. One also gets a feeling that Saina is not attacking the opponent enough despite leading 9-5 in the game.

14:10 hrs IST: Li Xuerui takes lead! Li Xuerui is all over Saina Nehwal as the Indian ace seems to have no answers to the smash shots. Saina is also not helped by the fact that fast-paced Xuerui is cancelling out some of the best shot from the Indian ace. The Chinese, after taking the lead stretched it further as she won the first game 21-12 after 16 minutes. 

14:05 hrs IST: Saina Nehwal who had taken an early lead (4-1) made couple of bad errors which has put her on the back foot against Li Xuerui match. Xuerui is now leading 14-9 in the first game.

13:45 hrs IST: We are back for the much-anticipated Saina Nehwal vs Li Xuerui match. 

13:35 hrs IST: What a match! China's Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei have taken the mixed doubles title after playing some amazing badminton game. They won the decider 21-19. The game which lasted for an hour and 27 minutes saw an intense see-saw battle, as the Chinese opponents overcome the stiff challenge from Denmark's pair of Pedersen Christinna-Joachim Fischer Nielsen.  Final Score: Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei  beat Pedersen Christinna-Joachim Fischer Nielsen  21-19, 17-21, 21-19.   

12:31 hrs IST: It's been a keen contested mixed doubles so far as both the opponents cancelling out on each other's advantages with series of smashes and drop shots. The Chinese pair have won the first game 21-19. 

12:00 hrs IST: We are some moment away from the Saina Nehwal versus Li Xuerui final clash as the prize distributions are taking place for the women's doubles matches that were held earlier in the day at the Haixia Olympic Sports Center.  The Chinese pair of Yu Yang and Tang Yuanting beat Japanese pair of Takahashi Ayaka and Matsutomo Misaki 18-21, 21-13, 21-12.

Saina Nehwal will face Li Xuerui in China Open Badminton Final.

© AFP

 

 

Saina who is also the also the defending China Open champion reached the final after she eased past the former World No.1 Yihan Wang 21-13, 21-18 at the Haixia Olympic Sports Center.

The other semi-final, contested between sixth seed Xuerui and her fifth seeded compatriot Wang Shixian was more one-sided though, the former winning 21-14, 21-5 in 33 minutes.