India’s Saina Nehwal went down fighting as Cheung Nigan Yi took the match 8-21, 21-18, 19-21 in a thrilling quarter-final clash at the Hong Kong Open in Kowloon on Friday.
Looking to set up a potential semi-final clash against compatriot PV Sindhu, Nehwal got off on the wrong foot with her opponent dominating play through the opening game. Nehwal pulled things back in the second, but could not outgun her opponent in the third.
Nehwal showed great resolve as she clinched the second game after trailing 8-11 at the change of ends. She carried the momentum into the third game, but Cheung Nigan Yi kept her cool and closed out the game in an exciting finish.
Earlier in the day, Sindhu had faced a similarly tough outing against China’s Xiaoyu Liang. The Olympic silver medalist endured a marathon three-game encounter to come out on top and advance to the last-four stage with a 21-17, 21-23, 21-18 win.
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