Asian Games 2018: Golden chance for Sindhu; Saina wins historic bronze

India's badminton star PV Sindhu has progressed to the final, however, another star Saina Nehwal had to bow out in the semi-final stage of the Asian Games 2018. 

In the first semi-final match, Saina Nehwal lost in straight sets to Taiwanese shuttler Tai Tzu-ying, 21-17, 21-14. The 24-year-old, who is ranked No. 1 in the world, moved up a gear in the key moments of the match to defeat the Indian convincingly.

Saina and Tzu-ying were neck and neck in both the games, with scores at 15-16 in the first game, and 14-15 in the second, but Tzu-ying showed her class by racing away to victory and capitalising on Nehwal's unforced errors.

Tzu-ying had defeated the Indian earlier this year in the semi-finals of the 2018 Badminton Asia Championships, where Saina had to once again settle for bronze.

In the second women's singles badminton semi-finals at the 2018 Asian Games, PV Sindhu edged past Japan's Akane Yamaguchi in three games (21-17, 15-21, 21-10). The Japanese shuttler, who is ranked No. 2 in the world, fought back after going one set down to take the match to the third set.

Sindhu blitzed away in the third set, winning comfortably and setting up a clash with Tai Tzu-ying in the women's badminton singles final. Saina Nehwal claimed India's first individual medal in the Asian Games in 36 years, while her compatriot Sindhu, could do one better by winning gold in tomorrow's final!