Shuttler Saina Nehwal secured spot in Q/F at Barcelona Open after beating to Ukrainian rival
Veteran shuttler Saina Nehwal won in straight games against Ukraine’s Maria Ulitina to storm into the women’s singles quarterfinals of the $170,000 Barcelona Spain Masters here on Thursday.
Saina thrashed Maria 21-10, 21-19 in the second round and will now be meeting Thailand’s third seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan.
But Kidambi Srikanth lost 6-21, 17-21 to fellow Indian Ajay Jayaram, ending his hopes of a Olympics berth.
Like Saina, Sameer Verma also made it to the last eight with a 21-14, 16-21, 21-15 victory over Germany’s Kai Schaefer. He will face either Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn or Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen in the men’s singles quarterfinals.
N. Sikki Reddy also lost both the mixed doubles and women’s doubles to bow out of the meet. Sikki and her women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa lost 18-21, 14-21 to Bulgaria’s Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva.
Sikki and Pranaav Jerry Chopra lost 16-21, 21-17, 11-21 In the mixed doubles to Malaysian pair of Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie.