SPORTS

Saina Nehwal in Chinese Taipei Open GP final

September 14, 2008

Saina Nehwal thrashed Indonesia's Pia Zebadiah Bernadet to enter the women's singles final in the Yonex Chinese Taipei Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament on Saturday.

The world No 14-ranked Indian, who became the first Indian woman to win a four-star badminton tournament at the Philippines Open in 2006, won the semi-final 21-7, 21-14.

She will meet unseeded Malaysian Lydia Cheah, who defeated local girl Chiu Yi Ju 21-17, 14-21, 21-12 in the other semi-final.

This is the third major final for the Indian ace, who also entered the summit clash at the World Junior badminton championship in 2007.

Saina was looking forward to a semi-final meeting Maria Kristin Yulianti, who had beaten her in the quarter-finals at the Beijing Olympics, but Pia shocked Yulianti in the quarter-finals.

Semi-finals results:

Men's singles: Simon Santoso (Ina) bt Eric Pang (Ned) 21-16, 21-15; Roslin Hashim (Mas) bt Nguyen Tien Minh (Vie) 21-17, 16-21, 21-19.

Men's doubles: Mathias Boe-Carsten Morgensen (Den) bt Razif Latif-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) 21-19, 21-14; Candra Wijaya-Tony Gunawan (Ina-US) bt Hoon Thien How-Ong Soon Hock (Mas) 21-14, 22-20.

Women's singles: Lydia Cheah (Mas) bt Chiu Yi Ju (Tai) 21-17, 14-21, 21-12; Saina Nehwal (Ind) bt Pia Zabedah (Ina) 21-7, 21-14.

Women's doubles: Cheng Wen Hsing-Chien Yu Chin (Tai) bt Kaori Imabeppu-Shizuka Matsuo (Jpn) 21-14, 20-22, 21-14; Rani Mundiasti-Jo Novita (Ina) bt Sari Shinta Mulia-Yao Lei (Sin) 12-21, 21-14, 21-12.

Mixed doubles: Fang Chieh Min-Cheng Wen Hsing (Tai) bt Wang Chia Min-Wang Pei Rong (Tai) 21-12, 21-16; Devin Lahardi-Lita Nurlita (Ina) bt Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den) 21-17, 19-21, 21-16.

NEXT ARTICLE

NewsBusinessMoviesSportsCricketGet AheadDiscussionLabsMyPageVideosCompany Email