Johor Bahru, Dec 3 (Inditop.com) India’s Saina Nehwal defeated Canadian Reid Charmaine 21-14, 21-9 for her first victory in the World Super Series Masters Final badminton here Thursday.
Top seeded Saina lost her opening round Group A match to Malaysian Mew Choo Wong Wednesday, but came back strongly against Charmaine taking just 32 minutes to wrap up the match.
Saina, however, will have to beat Thailand’s Porntip Buranaprasertsuk in her last Group match Friday to book a semi-final berth.
Mew Choo Wong leads Group A after a clinical 21-9, 21-7 win over Buranaprasertsuk Thursday. It was her second successive victory, having beaten Saina Wednesday. She has already through to the semi-final.
In mixed doubles, Indian pair of Jwala Gutta and V.Diju beat Indonesian Hendra Aprida Gunawan and Vita Marissa 21-18, 21-17 in their second Group B match. Gutta and Diju had lost their opening match Wednesday.
In men’s singles, the semi-final race in Group B was thrown open after Peter Gade was shocked by Park Sung Hwan.
After winning his opener against fellow Dane Jan Jorgensen Wednesday, Gade was supposed to clear his way to qualify for the last four. But Park, obviously, was intent on rewriting the script.
The Korean adapted better to the draft in the stadium to score an emphatic 21-12, 7-21, 21-15 win over the Dane.
The win also means that the Korean now leads Group B, having beaten Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana Wednesday.
Ponsana, however, remained in the running for a semi-final berth after he beat Jorgensen 21-9, 21-18.
On Friday, Gade will play Boonsak while Park will take on Jorgensen. The top two winners in each group progress to the semi-finals.
“This is the best I’ve seen him (Park) play and all credit to him on his win,” said Gade.
“But to qualify for the semi-finals, you need to win at least two matches, and that has not changed.”
In Group A, China’s Bao Chunlai defeated Hsieh Yu Hsin of Chinese Taipei 17-21, 21-18, 21-16 for his second victory in as many matches. Yu Hsin lost the first match to Malaysian Lee Chong Wei.
In other matches of women’s singles, Juliane Schenk of Germany beat Yao Jie of the Netherlands 21-13, 21-10 while Thailand’s Salakjit Ponsana got the better of German Nicole Grether 21-17, 21-7 in Group B.
rounak