Saina seals semifinal spot, Sindhu sinks at Malaysia Open

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal sealed a semifinal spot after a hard-fought victory but compatriot P.V. Sindhu crumbled under pressure to bow out of the women’s singles competition at the Malaysia Open Super Series Premier tournament in Shah Alam on Friday.

World No. 8 Saina dug deep into her vast experience as she recovered from a game deficit to beat Thailand’s Porntip Buranaprasertsuk 19-21 21-14 21-14 in a 58-minute clash at the quarterfinals stage of the $550,000 event. Saina had beaten Porntip seven times in their last eight meetings.