Saina Nehwal of India continued her impressive run in the Denmark Super Series badminton championship with a near flawless 21-10, 21-11 win over local star Tine Baun in the women's singles quarter-final late on Friday night.
The 22-year-old Saina was clearly the superior of the two and virtually dictated terms right through the game. The 33-year-old Baun who had problems with the height of the net was a mismatch in a way. Neither she could use her reach nor could she discover her form which in the past fetched her two All England championship titles in 2008 and 2010.
It was obvious that third-seeded Saina, playing her maiden tournament after bronze-medal winning performance in the London Olympics, meant business straight away running up handsome lead to put the pressure straight away on the more experienced opponent.
So awful was the fifth-seeded Tine Baun one wondered whether she was the same player who was feared by many not long ago. In contrast, Saina was methodical and changed the pace of the game pretty comfortable the few times the Danish shuttler tried to come back, which were, however, very few.
That Saina wrapped up the game in less than 30 minutes was also a tribute to the remarkable improvement she has made in her cross-court mastery. It were not just her trademark smashes but the way she countered the high service from Baun was a treat to watch. Picking gaps at will, Saina literally toyed with the seasoned campaigner.
Though Baun did give glimpses of her ability to come up with big smashes on a couple of times, it was too late to change the course of the match as the World No. 4 from Hyderabad moved two steps closer to picking up yet another Super Series title.
