JOIN USAce Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal reached the singles semifinals of the $500,000 BWF World Super Series Finals after beating German Juliane Schenk 21-7, 21-18 in a Group B match here on Friday.
After losing both her matches in the group of four, Saina qualified for the last four on the basis of having lost less number of games in comparison to Swiss Tine Baun and Schenk, all three having won a match each. The Indian came second in her group behind Thai Ratchanok Itanon, who won all three of her group matches.
After the second round of matches on Thursday, the world No 3 Indian was lying fourth and last in the group and her chances of qualifying for the year-ender looked bleak but one good match against the German helped her enter the semis.
This will be fourth seed Saina’s third semifinal in the Finals having reached the last-four stage in 2008 and the final last year, when she suffered a heartbreaking defeat against World No 1 Yihan Wang.
In Friday’s match at the China Resources Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre, the Hyderabadi won her eighth, and third straight, match out of 11 meetings against the German second seed. The London Olympics bronze medallist dominated the first game winning 21 of the 28 points played. Saina stayed in the lead throughout the game. From 15-7, she picked
up six consecutive points to clinch the game.
The second game, however, was a close and topsy-turvy one with neither player giving away too big a lead. Saina’s smashes helped her and at the crucial juncture of 18-all, she bagged three vital points on the trot to win the game and make it to the next round.
In the semifinal, Saina faces her old foe, top seed and reigning Olympic champion of China Li Xuerui. She has a 2-4 head-to-head record against the Chinese.
In the other semifinal, Chinese third seed Shixian Wang takes on Ratchanok.