India’s Saina Nehwal notched up a hard-fought three-game win over ninth-ranked Chinese Sun Yu to emerge the lone Indian survivor in Australian Open Super Series badminton tournament here on Thursday.
World No. 1 Saina continued her rampaging run and staved off Yu’s challenge at 21-19, 19-21, 21-14 in a women’s singles match that lasted an hour and 18 minutes.
The Olympic bronze medallist will next take on two-time All England champion Shixian Wang, against whom she has a 6-5 record in 11 meetings.
However, it was curtains for world No. 4 K. Srikanth and 2010 Commonwealth Games champion pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa.
China’s Tian Houwei came back from a game down to defeat fourth seed Srikanth 18-21, 21-17, 21-13 in men’s singles while the fourth-seeded Indonesian pair of Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Greysia Polii put it across Jwala and Ashwini 21-14, 21-10 in women’s doubles. Saina, who had beaten Yu thrice in the last four meetings, broke off at 5-5 and entered the break with a lead of 11-6.
Yu played better after the interval to slowly narrow the gap before clawing back at 18-18, but a determined Saina zoomed ahead to take the game.
The Indian could have wrapped up the match in the second game itself as she had a six-point lead at 13-7 but Yu almost snatched the lead after levelling the scores at 13-13.
An alert Saina held her nerve and moved to 18-15 but could not stop a fighting Yu, who roared back into the contest with a three-point burst after being down 18-19.
In the decider, Saina led from the start and at one stage was comfortably placed at 12-4.
Though the Chinese tried hard to erase the deficit, Saina made sure there were no more hiccups and eventually sealed the issue in her favour.
Indian results: Men’s singles : Tian Houwei (Chi) bt K. Srikanth 18-21, 21-17, 21-14.
Women’s singles: Saina Nehwal bt Sun Yu (Chi) 21-19, 19-21, 21-14;
Doubles: Nitya Krishinda Maheswari & Greysia Polii (Ina) bt G. Jwala & Ashwini Ponnappa 21-14, 21-10.