Saina wins second game, keeps semi-final hopes alive

Saina Nehwal shrugged off her first match disappointment and thumped fourth-seed Hongyan Pi of France in straight sets to keep her hopes of making the semi-finals alive in the World Super Series Masters Finals, here on Friday.

The world No 10 Indian thrashed the French, ranked three notches higher than her, 21-18, 21-13 in a 34-minute contest.

National champion Saina will next face sixth-seed and world No 11 Mew Choo Wong of Malaysia later today.

The eighteen-year-old shuttler rallied well to leave her opponent huffing and puffing all over the court and indulged in some sharp smashes to gallop her way to sealing the first set 21-18.

In the next game, Hongyan displayed some powerful strokes and matched Saina's smashes well but the Indian ace was in no mood to give an inch. She played close to the nets and raced away with the game 21-13.