Saina enters Indonesia Super Series quarter-finals

Defending champion Saina Nehwal entered the quarter-finals of the Indonesian Super Series Premier after a comfortable straight-games victory over Sayaka Takahashi of Japan, in Jakarta, on Thursday.

R M V Gurusaidutt also advanced to the quarter-finals in the men's singles with a hard-fought win over Kazumasa Sakai of Japan, while it was curtains for Sourabh Varma.

World No 2 Saina took 39 minutes to outplay her 24th ranked opponent 21-13, 21-19 in a second round match at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno stadium.

The 23-year-old from Hyderabad will take on Carolina Marin of Spain in the quarters.

The second seeded Indian ace relied on her smashes and superior net play to outwit her Japanese opponent.

The two started on equal footing and were tied 6-6 before Saina surged ahead and opened up a gap of six points.

The Japanese clinched a few straight points to reduce the gap to 13-14, but the Indian showed her class and easily wrapped up the first game 21-13.

Takahashi got her act together in the second game as two engaged in a fierce battle. Tied 12-12, the Japanese won three points on the trot to make it 15-12 and then succeeded in maintaining a slender lead over Saina.

But the higher-ranked Indian battled on and turned tables at 18-18 to win the game and match 21-19.

Gurusaidutt prevailed over Sakai 21-12, 9-21, 21-19 in a little less than an hour. After a comfortable 12-21 win in the opening game, Gurusaidutt was completely outplayed in the second game. The deciding game was a see-saw battle and the scores ran neck and neck till 17-17 before the Indian upped the ante in time to advance to the next stage.

Gurusaidutt will meet Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia in the last eight stage.

In another men's singles match, Sourabh was thrashed by the third seeded Pengyu Du of China 16-21, 6-21 in 37 minutes.

India's campaign ended in both mixed and women's doubles.

While the women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Pradnya Gadre lost 13-21, 19-21 to the local combo Anneke Feinya Agustin and Della Destiara Haris in little over 30 minutes, Ponnappa and Tarun Kona were handed a 14-21, 21-17, 13-21 defeat by Robert Mateusiak and Nadiezda Zieba of Poland in 42 minutes.

Image: Saina Nehwal

Photograph; Reuters