China Open: Saina Nehwal beats Wang Yihan to book a place in the final

Indian ace shuttler Saina Nehwal produced a scintillating performance in the women's singles semi-final of the China Open on Saturday, 14 November, to book a place in the final of the tournament.

Saina, who had won the title last year, brushed aside the challenge of local favourite and seventh seed, Wang Yihan, in straight games, 21-13, 21-18, to stay one step away from successfully defending the trophy.

The 25-year old Indian didn't break much sweat as she won the first game with ease, with a score of 21-13. The second game, however, proved to be a close affair, and Saina had to dig deep to eventually prevail by a margin of 21-18.

Saina will next face another Chinese star, Li Xuerui, in the title clash on Sunday.