Hong Kong, Nov 25: India's star shuttler PV Sindhu won a tough three-set battle to defeat Xiaoyu Liang of Singapore and enter the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open badminton tournament here on Friday (November 25). But Saina Nehwal crashed out, losing in the last-8 stage.

The Olympic silver medallist faced a tough challenge at the Hong Kong Coliseum before scripting a 21-17, 21-23, 21-18 win.

It could have been Sindhu versus Saina in the semi-final but it is not as the latter lost to Hong Kong's Cheung Ngan Yi 8-21, 18-21, 19-21 in a hard-fought quarter-final battle.

Saina was playing in her second tournament since returning from a knee surgery. Last week she lost in the 1st round of China Open.

On Saturday (November 26), Sindhu will face Cheung Ngan in the semi-final.

IANS