Indian shuttlers create badminton history in Singapore Open
Badminton history was written at the USD350,000 OUE Singapore Open on Saturday when two Indians qualified for the men's singles final at the Indoor Stadium on Sunday after winning their respective semi-final matches.
K. Srikanth, once ranked No 3 in the world and reached the Rio Olympics quarter-finals last year will face compatriot B. Sai Praneeth in the final - and India joins China, Indonesia and Denmark as the only countries to have players from the same country featuring in a superseries final.
World No 26 K. Srikanth, winner of the China Open Superseries Premier in 2014 and the 2015 India Open Superseries defeated Indonesian youngster Anthony Ginting (ranked No 26) 21-13, 21-14 in 42 minutes.
He will face compatriot B. Sai Praneeth, who holds a 4-1 advantage in the head to head count. His last win over Srikanth was at the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold. Praneeth, who the Canada Open last year, had earlier demolished South Korean youngster Lee Dong Kuen 21-6, 21-8 in a lopsided 38 minute match.
The women's singles final will be a repeat of last week's Malaysia Open Superseries Premier in Kuching between world No 1 Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan and world No 2 Carolina Marin of Spain who will be playing in her third successive superseries final.
She lost to P.V. Sindhu in the India Open and last week lost to Tzu Ying in the Malaysia Open in New Delhi. Tzu Ying, who also won this year's All-England is in hot form and it will be interesting to see if the Taiwanese can add the Singapore Open to her list of victories this year after winning the Malaysian Open. Tzu Ying also won the season ending finale - the World Superseries Finals in Dubai last year.
For Marin, the former world No 1 and reigning Olympic and world champion - has not won a superseries title since last year.
In the semi-finals Tzu Ying, the top seed defeated China-born Zhang Beiwen, who now dons United States colours, 21-19, 21-15 while Marin, the No 4 seed, outplayed second seed Sung Ji-hyun of Korea 21-8, 21-12.
In the men's doubles, world No 1 Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and top seeds saw their hot-streak, which brought them the All-England, India Open and Malaysia Open titles this year, brought to an end.
The Indonesian youngsters were beaten 11-21, 21-11, 21-14 by the experienced Danish pair of Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen. The Danes will face China's No 4 seeds Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen in the final. The Chinese prevailed in three-sets 15-21, 21-10, 21-16 against Indonesia's Berry Angriawan-Hardianto Hardianto.
The women's doubles final will be a repeat of the Rio Olympics final with top seeds and Olympic champions Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi of Japan taking on No 2 seeds Kamilla Rytter Juhl-Christina Pedersen of Denmark in the title in Singapore.
Thailand's unseeded Dechapol Puavaranukrih-Sapsiree Taerattanachai ousted No 8 seeds Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing of Malaysia to reach their first superseries final. The Thais came back from a set down to win 18-21, 21-11, 21-14 in 66 minutes.
They play China's third seeds Lu Kai-Huang Yaqiong in the final. The Chinese overcame Koreans Kim Gi-jung-Shin Seung-chan 16-21, 21-17, 21-12.
RESULTS (SEMI-FINALS)
Men's Singles
B. Sai Praneeth (Ind) beat Lee Dong Keun (Kor) 21-6, 21-8
K. Srikanth (Ind) beat Anthony Ginting (Ina) 21-13, 21-14
Men's Doubles
Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen (Chn) beat Berry Angriawan-Hardianto Hardianto (Ina) 15-21, 21-10, 21-16
Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) beat Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Ina) 11-21, 21-11, 21-14
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Women's Singles
Tai Tzu Ting (Tpe) beat Zhang Beiwen (US) 21-19, 21-15
Carolina Marin (Spn) beat Sung Ji-hyun (Kor) 21-8, 21-12
Women's Doubles
Kamilla Ryttter Juhl-Christina Pedersen (Den) beat Chang Ye-na-Lee So-hee (Kor) 28-26, 21-11
Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) beat Junh Kyunh-eun-Shin Seung-chan (Kor) 21-17, 21-1
Mixed Doubles
Lu Kai-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) beat Kim Gi-jung-Shin Seung-chan (Kor) 16-21, 21-17, 21-12
Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) beat Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing (Mas) 18-21, 21-11, 21-14
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