Singapore Open: Sindhu seals semifinal spot, Saina ousted
Singapore: P V Sindhu survived a scare before making the semifinals but Saina Nehwal was thoroughly outplayed in her straight-game quarterfinal loss on a mixed day for India at the Singapore Open badminton tournament here Friday.
Rio Games silver-winner Sindhu defeated world No.18 and 2017 BWF World Junior Championship bronze-medallist Cai Yanyan of China 21-13 17-21 21-14 to set up a meeting with former world champion Nozomi Okuhara.
It is Sindhu's second semifinal of the season, following a last-four finish at the India Open last month.
The second-seeded Okuhara, hailing from Japan, didn't break much sweat on her way to a 21-8 21-13 win over sixth seed Saina, a bronze-medallist at the London Olympics.
Sindhu broke off at 5-5 in the opening game to earn the bragging rights but her Chinese rival came back strongly in the second game, opening up a lead of 11-6 at the break.
The Indian fought back superbly to narrow the lead to 15-16 before Cai marched ahead to take the match to the decider.
In the third game, Sindhu once again found her bearings and surged to a lead of 11-5 before the interval. The Indian continued to move ahead and closed out the match comfortably in the end.
In contrast, Saina, who had defeated Okuhara in their last three meetings and also enjoyed a 9-4 advantage ahead of this clash, fell apart against the Japanese in a lop-sided clash.
Okuhara jumped to a 9-0 lead, a gap which Saina failed to breach, collecting only eight points in the first game.
In the second, Saina rose to 4-0 but Okuhara clawed back at 6-6 and then turned the tables, reaching 11-8 at the breather.
The Japanese then moved ahead at 12-11 and didn't look back.
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Rajeev Chandrasekhar accuses LDF, UDF of backing Iran over Keralites in Gulf
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday hit out at both the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the opposition Congress-led UDF, saying that their reactions to the recent conflict in West Asia show that they are supporting Iran rather than standing with the people of Kerala living in the Gulf countries.
He accused both fronts of "playing politics" in the name of religion and appeasement ahead of State Assembly elections, rather than taking a clear stand on the crisis.
It is "surprising" that the Left Democrat Front and United Democratic Front are "supporting" Iran -- which is attacking Gulf countries that economically sustain Kerala and are considered a second home by Keralites, Chandrasekhar said in a statement here.
The BJP leader said Keralites, many of whom depend on jobs in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, are anxious about the situation.
He underlined that the first priority should be the safety and security of expatriate workers and their families, not political gains.
His statement comes a day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the United States was displaying "hooliganism" against Iran and accused it of taking "irrational" actions that undermine the sovereignty of nations.
The Congress has also "unequivocally" condemned the targeted assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said no external power has the authority to engineer a regime change, as such actions amount to imperialism and are incompatible with a rules-based international order.
Chandrasekhar said that the central government is offering help and guidance to Indian citizens in the region, and urged people not to panic.
To assist those affected, the Kerala BJP has opened helpdesks in 30 district offices and launched a toll-free number -- 1800-257-4357 --for Keralites seeking information or support connected to the conflict, the statement said.
