Saina Knocked Out Of Macau Open 

Macau: Star Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal lost to Zhang Yiman of China in straight sets to crash out of the USD 120,000 Macau Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament here on Friday.

The Chinese shuttler needed just 35 minutes to beat Saina 21-12, 21-17 in the quarter-finals of the women's singles category. Zhang dominated right from the start, taking an 8-5 lead early in the first game.

The Hyderabad shuttler raced to a 6-0 lead before Zhang won five consecutive points to close the gap. It was a neck-and-neck affair till 11-11 before Zhang won three consecutive points

Saina managed to draw level at 8-8 but Zhang won five back-to-back points to bolster her advantage to 14-8 before closing out the game. Saina dominated the early stages of the second game, putting the local favourite under pressure.

The Hyderabad shuttler raced to a 6-0 lead before Zhang won five consecutive points to close the gap. It was a neck-and-neck affair till 11-11 before Zhang won three consecutive points.

Although Saina equalised at 14-14, the Chinese star produced a five-point burst to clinch what ultimately proved to be a decisive lead.

IANS