The Hindu : Sport / Badminton : Saina, Anand fall at final hurdle

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Thursday, Dec 06, 2007
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Sport - Badminton

Saina, Anand fall at final hurdle

S. Sabanayakan

— Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

Toppled: Saina Nehwal was upstaged by Yonekura in the final.

GUWAHATI: It was not India’s day at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday. Both National champions, B. Chetan Anand and Saina Nehwal, came a cropper against a quality opposition in the finals of the India International Challenge badminton championship.

Anand failed to get going against a hard-working Wei Feng Chong of Malaysia and lost 18-21, 22-20, 15-21 in a gripping contest that lasted 53 minutes.

For Saina, Asian champion Kanako Yonekura proved too good as she won the 37-minute encounter 21-13, 21-18.

Chong showed tremendous court coverage, anticipation and killer instinct. His power-packed smashes, delicate net play and tremendous ability to retrieve even difficult shots proved too much for the Indian.

Lacking sharpness

Anand’s play lacked sharpness normally associated with his game. Under pressure in all the three games, he committed too many unforced errors.

He not only failed to finish a number of mid-court balls but put serves into the net at crucial juncture. Chong invariably came out winner in most of the rallies. The Malaysian pulled away from 10-10 in the first game to take it at 21-18. At 19-17 and 20-18, Anand’s net dribble failed him. Chong took the early lead in the next game only to allow Anand to catch up at 10-10.

The lead changed hands till 16-all before Anand reeled off three points only to surrender it to Chong at 19-19.

When the Malaysian served for the match, he disputed a line call and lost concentration to allow Anand to win it at 22-20. Anand was never in the picture in the decider. He allowed Chong to reel off three points at 8-8 and five points at 11-10.

The lead gave Chong enough cushion to hold all the aces as he led 17-12 and 18-15 to finish off the match at 21-15.

Saina fought till 11-all in the first game. Better court craft and strokeplay gave Kanako the first game at 21-13. The Japanese just maintained the pressure in the next to crack the Indian.

The contest ended at 11-all as the Japanese powered to finish off the match at 21-18.

The results: Final: Men: Wei Feng Chong (Mas) bt B. Chetan Anand 21-18, 20-22, 21-15. Doubles: Peng Soon Chan & Hun Pin Chang (Mas) bt T. Dinesh & Jayan James 21-8, 21-15.