Uber Cup: Saina loses, but Ruthvika assures India bronze

The Indian women's badminton team is assured of at least a bronze medal after a comfortable 3-1 victory over Thailand in the quarter-finals of the Uber Cup, at the Kunshan Sports Centre Stadium, in Kunshan, China, on Thursday.

The team created history in the last edition when it clinched a historic bronze in New Delhi after losing to Japan in the semi-finals.

On a day when India's top shuttler Saina Nehwal bit the dust against 2013 World champion Ratchanok Intanon in the first singles, P V Sindhu and the pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won the second singles and first doubles before young shuttler Ruthvika Shivani Gadde sealed victory, outclassing Nitchaon Jindapol in the second singles.

India is likely to take on China in the semi-finals on Friday.

"And we are through to the semis!!Woooohooooo! Way to go team! Great team work! Brilliant play Ruthvika," Poonnappa posted on her Twitter page.

London Olympics bronze medallist Saina started the proceedings, but was unable to breach the defences of world No 2 Ratchanok, who won 21-12, 21-19 to give Thailand a 1-0 lead.

It was world No 8 Saina's fifth defeat to the Thai girl.

However, world No 10 Sindhu brought India back in the hunt with a 21-18, 21-7 victory over Busanan Ongbumrungphan in the second singles, which lasted 43 minutes.

In the first doubles, 2010 Commonwealth Games champions Jwala and Ashwini prevailed over Puttita Supajirakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai 21-19, 21-12 in 39 minutes to make it 2-1 for India.

Ruthvika was then entrusted the responsibility of taking India through in the third singles and the 19-year-old showed her prowess with a 21-18, 21-16 victory over world No 25 Nitchaon in 41 minutes.

The second doubles between Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai and N Sikki Reddy and Sindhu was thus rendered inconsequential.