Asia Badminton Championships: HS Prannoy, Saina Nehwal went down in semifinals in Wuhan. (File)
Asia Badminton Championships Score and updates: HS Prannoy became the first Indian male shuttler to win a medal at the Asia Badminton Championship since Anup Sridhar in 2007. He was already assured of it by reaching the semis but as he looked to go for more, he was stopped by Olympic champion Chen Long but produced sensation stuff to push the local favourite. In the other semifinal featuring an Indian, Saina Nehwal’s dismal run against Tai Tzu Ying extended to nine straight defeats. Despite the defeats for both players, there were plenty of encouraging signs as they pushed their opponents all the way. However, both will have to contend with a bronze medal – a first for Prannoy at the Asia Championships and a third for Nehwal.
Saina Nehwal is unbeaten this month. (PTI Photo)
Saina Nehwal's head-to-head against Tai Tzu Ying now reads 11-5 in favour of the Chinese Taipei player. She has won nine in a row with the last defeat coming in 2013 at the Swiss Open
Tai Tzu Ying wins 27-25 and 21-19 as Saina Nehwal sends her forehand down the line attempt just wide. The sorry streak continues. Saina Nehwal bags the gold medal but she won't be happy to lose once again to the Chinese Taipei player - ninth straight time now. Also snaps her 14-0 unbeaten streak this month
Tai Tzu Ying's push into the back of the court is called in. Saina challenges. But it has landed in! Match point for Tai Tzu Ying
Tai Tzi Yung's drop shot is called out. But she immediately challenges. Hawk Eye comes to her aid. It has kissed the line to stay in. Saina leads 19-18. And then Nehwal with an error. Drama continues! 19-19!
Tai Tzu Ying doesn't pull off her smash and then an angled shot is wide of the target. 17-17 now. Saina then with a drop shot which Tai Tzu Ying fails to send back over. 18-17. Luck going Saina's way. Tickles the tape and oges over at 19-17
Once again, Saina has down back and levelled at the same juncture that she did in the first game. Error by Tai Tzu Ying and it is 15-15. But Saina fails to take lead after misjudging a Tzu Ying angled shot.
Tai Tzu Ying has kept her two point distance over Saina Nehwal. Saina trailed 10-14 before coming back with lethal blows. But the Taipei player is quick to restore her advantage. Thundering smash down the line is followed up by a deft touch at the net. No returning that
Tai Tzu Ying has taken the lead in the first part of the second game. Leads 10-7 before Saina forces her into making errors. 10-9 now. But Nehwal follows it up by pushing her forehand long. 11-9 now
Tai Tzu Ying closes it out with a smash into open court. Long rally before the half smash is put away down the line. What a game! What persistence from both players. Tai Tzu Ying wins the opening game 27-25
Tai Tzu Ying won't go away! Lovely fetching once again before she puts away a deep shot with an angled drop. No picking that up. And then Saina errs
Tai Tzu Ying sends the service return long and Saina now has game point at 24-23. HOW DID TAI TZU YING WIN THAT POINT! Talk about sheer determination and patience. Keeps the point alive from absurd angles, fetches left and right. 24-24. Saina Nehwal then with a smash into Tai Tzu Ying's body to bring up another game point for herself. This is breathtaking stuff! Both players playing out of their skin. Need a rub down after that.
Fantastic recovery from Tai Tzu Ying after Saina had chances to close the point out. But kept the point alive. Third game point for Tai Tzu Uing now. And another service error. My word! 23-23
And now Tai Tzu Ying misses the game point. The attempted smash is straight into the net. What excitement and drama. 21-21. Tzu Ying with a delightful angled drop shot. Game point for Tzu Ying. But the serve is long. 22-22
Lovely touch by Saina Nehwal bring up game point at 20-18. Has Tai Tzu Ying scrambling and moving around. The angled drop return is wide and Saina has game point. One saved with a drop shot. NO! Saina thinks the serve is going long but it lands in. 20-20! Saina then sends the return long.
What a recovery from Saina Nehwal. Tai Tzu Ying with an odd drop shot attempt and it is comfortably into the net. 19-17 now. But draws back with an almost annoyed smash
Saina Nehwal keeping the pressure on Tai Tzu Ying. Early on the drop shot and angles it past Tai Tzu Ying to make it 17-17. And then forces the Taipei player into an error to take a point lead, 18-17. She leads for the first time in the match
Tai Tzu Ying making some uncharacteristic errors which has allowed Saina Nehwal to draw back into the first set. She follows things up with a superb angled shot to make it 14-15. And then an error by Tai Tzu Ying restores levels things up. 15-15
Tai Tzu Ying has Saina second guessing her shots. An attempted drop shot is wide of the line and the Taipei player leads 11-6 in the opening game
Sublime drop shot by Tai Tzu Ying. Looked to be pushing the shot long but changed the grip handling in the end. Loops it but sends it short to leave Nehwal in no man's land. Up 8-5 in the opening game
Saina Nehwal and Tai Tzu Ying on court for the second women's semifinal of the day. The first one had seen Chen Yufei beat Sung Ji Hyun 21-12, 21-13. And Tai Tzu Ying is off to a roaring start. 4-1 up amid delightful touches and angles.
HS Prannoy with a wayward smash attempt and it is comfortably out. Brings up match point for Chen Long at 20-17. Prannoy saves one with a thumping smash back. 18-20 now. Chen Long's smash is into HS Prannoy's body and the return is a loopy one, simple putaway for Chen Long then. CHEN LONG WINS 21-16, 21-18 and is through to the final tomorrow
Big point for HS Prannoy. At 16-17, he needs this point to bring parity. Saves and picks up multiple tricky shots but nets a backhand in the end and the two point lead remains intact. On the next point, Prannoy fetches one point too many which looked to be out of his reach. Moving to his right, almost on his knees, twice, picks up one but not the second. Chen Long leads 19-16
Chen Long with a backhand push into the corner and the two point lead continues. HS Prannoy looked to have thought it was going long but well in.
What a thundering angled smash from Chen Long to keep the two points distance over HS Prannoy. Lovely cut right at the end to leave HS Prannoy surprised. Super angle that!
HS Prannoy has come out of nowhere to level things at 12-12 in the second game. He's been superb since the breather. But has now given away, more like thrown away, two points to once again hand the advantage to Chen Long
HS Prannoy with gorgeous stuff. After a deceiving smash cross court, he follows it up with a delightful drop shot to put together four points in a row. He now trails by one point, 10-11.
Chen Long leads HS Prannoy 11-6 in the second game. This is superb fetching from both players, side-to-side at the net before Chen Long somehow, absoslutely somehow, extends his racket to send the shuttle back from behind. Exasperating stuff for Prannoy!
HS Prannoy with lots of patience to build up the point. Moving Chen Long side-to-side before erring with a backhand drop. Was set up beautifully in his favour. Had done everything perfectly up until then. Trails 5-10
Chen Long starts by picking up three points in a row before HS Prannoy levels it at 3-3. But Chen Long then adds five in a row including one which should have been Prannoy's. Perfect drop shot but it was almost as if that Long read Prannoy's mind that he was quick on his feet and leaped on the drop shot to push it into vacant court. Prannoy with a little wry smile.
Smashed into open court by Chen Long after a simple reply by HS Prannoy. 20-14. Prannoy saves one with an angled smash and Long nets the drop. Make that another shot into the net on a drop. 16-20. GAME CHEN LONG BY 21-16. HS Prannoy's backhand push is wide
HS Prannoy sends his forehand push into the final third long and Chen Long is up 18-12. Make that 19-12 now after Long produces remarkable defence to pick up Prannoy's smash and the push back is long. Nicely judged as well.
Despite incredible retrieving from HS Prannoy, Chen Long has taken a 15-11 lead. But he is definitely making the local hope work for this. Reduces the gap with a smash down the line
What a fantastic rally that sees both shuttlers stretching themselves on the backhand. Pick up lovely smashes and keep the point going. But, disappointingly, in the end, Prannoy errors on his backhand. Chen Long up 12-11
HS Prannoy with excellent stuff to pick up a deceiving smash. Looked to be going one way before changing stance at the final second, keeps the point going before forcing Long into an error. 10-10. Lengthy rally on the next point before Prannoy's jump smash is wide of the mark. Chen Long leads 11-10 at the break in the first game
Remarkable deft touch from Chen Long to keep the point going. It looked like it was beyond Long but an outstretched backhand sends the shuttle over, Prannoy has to go fetching and the low drop produces a simple putaway for the Chinese shuttler. 9-9 now. An error from Prannoy and three points in a row for Chen Long.
Prannoy's lead is wiped away by Chen Long. Lovely bit of play at the net by the Olympic champion and it is now 5-5
HS Prannoy is off to a good start in the first game of the match. Chalks up four points to get things underway
Match results from the two courts so far:
In men's doubles, third seeded Japan's Takeshi Kamur and Keigo Sonoda beat Chinese pairing Liu Cheng/Zhang Nan 14-21, 21-12, 25-23. And in an all-Chinese semifinal, top-seeded Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen beat Huang Kaixiang/Wang Yilyu 21-17, 14-21, 21-10
Hello and Good Afternoon for our live coverage of the Asia Badminton Championships which is being played in Wuhan, China. In the specials today, HS Prannoy takes on local boy and favourite Chen Long while Saina Nehwal faces Tai Tzu Ying. Other singles semifinals see Lee Chong Wei face Kento Momota and Sung Ji Hyun against Chen Yufei. A bronze medal is assured for both Prannoy and Nehwal but neither would be happy with just that.