Saturday, Apr 27, 2024 | Last Update : 08:21 AM IST
Badminton: Semis spots for Saina, Praneeth
In their only meeting before Friday’s match, the 24-year-old Praneeth beat Kantaphon 18-21, 21-14, 21-15 at the Indonesian Masters last year.
New Delhi: Saina Nehwal and B. Sai Praneeth advanced to the semi-finals of the $120,000 Thailand Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament with convincing victories in Bangkok on Friday.
Second seed Saina, ranked 11th in the world, defeated Japan’s Haruko Suzuki 21-15, 20-22, 21-11 in a match lasting one hour nine minutes to make the last-four stage.
“Tough win today #thailandGPG #quaterfinals ..... Won in three sets 21-15, 22-20, 21-11 ....” Saina wrote on her Twitter handle after the win.
The 27-year-old London Olympics bronze medallist, who breezed past unseeded Ying Ying Lee of Malaysia in straight games 21-11, 21-14, faces Busanan Ongbamrung-phan in the semi-finals.
Earlier, the third seeded Praneeth comfortably defeated Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen 21-16, 21-17 in the men’s singles at the Nimibutr Stadium.
The world number 24 took 50 minutes to see off his opponent, ranked 102 in the world and who had produced some impressive performances in the tournament.
In their only meeting before Friday’s match, the 24-year-old Praneeth beat Kantaphon 18-21, 21-14, 21-15 at the Indonesian Masters last year.
The Singapore Open champion had beaten Iskandar Zulkarnain of Malaysia in straight games in the quarter-finals.
