Sai enters India Open semis

New Delhi, April 1: India's premier badminton star Sai Nehwal orchestrated a fight back to beat Sung Ji Hyun in the quarter-fils of the $300,000 India Open Superseries at the Siri Fort Sports Complex here on Friday.

Defending champion Sai lost the first game 19-21 before making it 1-1 with spectacular and domiting shuttle play. She registered 21-14 and 21-19 in the fil two games of the match that lasted an hour and 23 minutes.

With this win, world No.6 Sai improved her head-to-head record against the No.8 South Korean to 6-1.

However, Sai's title defence will face a great Chinese wall when she will face Olympic champion and world No.2 Li Xuerui, who holds a 10-2 advantage in career meetings against the 2015 World Championship runner-up.

Xuerui advanced to the fil four stage with a battling 22-20, 12-21, 21-17 win over her compatriot Shixian Wang. In the other women's singles quarter-fil, former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand defeated Chinese Taipei' Tai Tzu Ying 12-21, 21-14, 22-20 in 58 minutes.

World No.5 Ratchanok will face the winner between Indian sensation P.V. Sindhu and Bae Yeon Ju of South Korea.

However, it was curtains for India's surprising women's doubles pair of Mohita Sahdev and Sanja Santosh, who were thrashed 8-21, 2-21 by Japan's oko Fukuman and Kurumi Yoo.

Meanwhile in the men's singles semi-fils, Japan's Kento Momota will face Chi's Xue Song and in the other contest, Danish Viktor Axelsen will be up against South Korean Wan Ho Son. IANS