Saina sets up Okuhara clash in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, January 17: India's Saina Nehwal beat Hong Kong's Pui Yin Yip 21-14, 21-16 to enter the quarterfinals of the Malaysian Open World Tour Super 500 Series badminton tournament where she will take on Japan's Nozomi Okuhara.

At the Axiata Arena courts, Saina, who is seeded seventh, took 39 minutes to tame Yip 21-14 21-16 in her second-round encounter of the first Super 500 Series tournament of the year.

World no. 9 Saina holds an 8-4 overall head-to-head record against Okuhara, which includes back-to-back wins over the current world no.2 in the last two tournaments -- last year's Demark Open and the French Open.

Malaysia Masters: #SainaNehwal beats Hong Kong's Pui Yin Yip 21-14, 21-16 to enter Quarterfinals #MalaysiaMastersSuper500 pic.twitter.com/sKMB9f97MY

— Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) January 17, 2019

If Saina manages to go past Okuhara, the Indian might run into fourth seed Carolina Marin, who is placed in her half of the draw.

Meanwhile, in the men’s single match Kidambi Srikanth fought off Wong Wing Ki Vincent 23-21, 8-21, 21-18 to march into the next round. But it was the end of the road for Parupalli Kashyap, as the Indian went down to Anthony Sinisuka Ginting 17-21, 23-25.

It was also curtains for Indian doubles pair as Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy lost to Ni Ketut Mahadewi Istarani and Rizki Amelia Pradipta at the Malaysian Open on Thursday.

(With Agency inputs)