After losing to Shixian Wang in the Australian Open quarterfinals last week, Saina Nehwal will get a chance to take revenge as she meets the Chinese in another quarterfinals of the Indonesian Open on Friday.
Saina Nehwal will be eager not to repeat those mistakes, which cost her the match last time around, when she lost the game in straight sets. Saina defeated unseeded Chinese Taipei player, Ya Ching to progress in the last eight of the competition to set up a date with Shixian Wang.
The Indian looked determined in the court against Ching as she was making her opponent run all round the court. Though there were instances which saw the Indian on the backfoot, she used her experience of playing in the circuit to full effect.
Saina won the match in straight sets with the score reading 21-13 and 21-15. She has not dropped a single set in the competition, but the same can be said for Wang as well, hence the game between the second and the fifth seed is expected to be a close one.
Even if we look at the record between the two shuttlers, both of them have won 6 times in their last 12 meetings.
In the men's singles, with Kidambi Srikanth's loss, Parupalli Kashyap is left as India's last hope. Kashyap progressed into the quarterfinals of the competition after some consistent performance in the Indonesian Open.
Kashyap has been in a great form in the tournament as he has not dropped any set yet. He defeated Thailand's Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk in the first round and beat Korea's Son Yan Ho in the second round.
Not many were surprised when Kashyap defeated the Thai player, but his second round victory against the fifth seed Son Yan Ho did make heads turn. It was not only about the victory, but the way he accomplished the feat as well.
It was a straight set victory over Son Yan Ho with the score reading 21-11, 21-14.
Kashyap undoubtedly is a special player, but has not been able to showcase his game on a consistent level. This time around, he seems to be hitting the shuttle perfect to go all the way.
But the Indian will have to clear a major hurdle in the form of top seed, Chen Long during their quarterfinals clash. Chen Long has also been in an incredible form this tournament.
In fact, Long has been in an impressive form this year as he has already won titles, including All England Open, Malaysia Open and the recently concluded Australian Open.
Kashyap is aware of the tough task at hand, but the Indian has it in him to create a major upset and grab a semi-final spot as well.
Where to Watch Live
The live coverage of Saina Nehwal vs Wang Shixian and Chen Long vs Parupalli Kashyap match can be watched in India on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2HD with live streaming on starsports.com
Live scores can be followed on BWF official website.
