Spain Masters Super 300 quarterfinals blog: PV Sindhu into semis with good win Mia Blichfeldt
Recap of the quarterfinal matches featuring PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth.
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Kenta Nishimoto [1] 21-18, 21-15 Srikanth Kidambi [5]
Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 17-21 PV Sindhu [2]
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 17-21 PV Sindhu: That will be all for this blog. PV Sindhu will take on Yeo Jia Min of Singapore next. The Indian has a 3-0 H2H record against the young Singaporean, but the last time they met was in the Commonwealth Games semifinal, a good contest that one.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 17-21 PV Sindhu: This is how the 2nd game unfolded. Great fightback from 6-12 down.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 17-21 PV Sindhu: Sindhu roars in joy. That meant a lot to her. Into the semifinals with a straight games win!
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 17-20 PV Sindhu: Sindhu’s clear lands in and Mia is not pleased. A roar from the Indian, match points.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 17-19 PV Sindhu: Another body smash from Sindhu. Two points away.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 17-18 PV Sindhu: Maybe the biggest roar yet from Sindhu as she nails a round-the-head smash.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 17-17 PV Sindhu: Back level again.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 16-17 PV Sindhu: Superb little run for Sindhu. A big roar after a smash winner, next point more aggression and kills a rally at the net.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 16-14 PV Sindhu: That won’t help. After a good exchange at the net, Sindhu makes a soft error on her forehand. Gets the serve right back on Mia’s error.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 15-13 PV Sindhu: Sindhu closing in, good aggressive point.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 15-12 PV Sindhu: Some indecision from the line judge, goes to call wide but calls in. Sindhu has the serve back, Mia not pleased.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 15-11 PV Sindhu: Sindhu just about keeping things interesting in the 2nd game. Definitely not conserving, for sure. A long rally as I say that, goes Mia’s way.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 12-8 PV Sindhu: Couple of good points post the interval for Sindhu.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 11-6 PV Sindhu: A handy lead for Mia at the interval of the second game. Will Sindhu think about conserving here perhaps?
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 9-6 PV Sindhu: Applause in the arena for another fabulous rally from both players, Sindhu takes the point after some good defensive work.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 9-5 PV Sindhu: Oh tight net shot by Sindhu but the shuttle falls on her side eventually. Mia with a booming body smash next. The Dane looking good here in the 2nd game.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 6-4 PV Sindhu: Misjudgement of length from Sindhu. And next rally, Mia not happy with the line-call.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21, 5-3 PV Sindhu: Sindhu’s aggression came through in the second half of the opening game, but it is another even start to this 2nd game. Mia with a small lead early doors.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-21 PV Sindhu: Sindhu in to the lead! A great run of points from 12-12.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-19 PV Sindhu: What a point. Sindhu with fantastic defensive work to win a point she had no business winning.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 14-16 PV Sindhu: Fabulous back and forth in this opening game. Sindhu not playing badly at all, Blichfeldt playing with the confidence of having reached the final last week. Sindhu staying just ahead now.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 12-14 PV Sindhu: Good kill at the net, Sindhu in the lead by 2 now.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 12-12 PV Sindhu: Good defence from Sindhu but the aggression from Mia pays off. Another body smash there. Sindhu returns the gift next rally.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 10-11 PV Sindhu: A roar from Sindhu as she nails a forehand smash down the line for a 11-10 lead into the interval. This has been a fun match already, some nice rallies. Sindhu with a couple of delightful slice winners.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 10-10 PV Sindhu: A return error from Mia. And Sindhu inches ahead on a run of three points. Mia levels it up with a good smash to Sindhu’s backhand side.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 9-9 PV Sindhu: Another nice rally. Sindhu back level.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 8-7 PV Sindhu: And probably the best point of the match so far. Ends with a good body smash from Mia.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 6-7 PV Sindhu: And Sindhu into the lead with a couple of well-worked points.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 6-5 PV Sindhu: Another delightful half smash from Sindhu! A roar from her too
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 6-4 PV Sindhu: There’s a lot of vocal aggression early on from Blichfeldt. Good crosscourt body smash.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 5-3 PV Sindhu: Think Sindhu chose the side to start off with. Just not getting her length right here early on. A nice half smash winner as I say that.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 3-1 PV Sindhu: Good crosscourt smash from Sindhu to get on the board.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt 3-0 PV Sindhu: Good start to the in-form Danish. Some tidy points to start off.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt vs PV Sindhu: Right, the players are finally warming up. We should be ready for the start soon.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt vs PV Sindhu: Still only discussions...
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt vs PV Sindhu: More discussions between Mia and the tournament referee. Looks like problem with the shuttle for sure. More delay. By the way, the Dane is coming into the match on the back of a great week in Basel where she reached the final.
WS QF, Mia Blichfeldt vs PV Sindhu: A delay in the start it seems, with some issues regarding the shuttle. Here’s a look at the H2H between these two in the meantime, Sindhu leads 5-1.
Women’s singles quarterfinals, Mia Blichfeldt vs PV Sindhu: Players on the court warming up.
It’s PV Sindhu time.
Sindhu will have to wait a tad bit longer, as Tsuneyama forces a decider.
Will Gemke be able to close this out in straight games against the 2nd seed? Sindhu to follow.
Watch: A play from Sindhu’s win against Putri
Some reading for you as we wait for Sindhu’s match.
PV Sindhu in action on Court 2 in a little while. The XD match just ended.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 21-15 Srikanth Kidambi: Not to be for Srikanth. Flashes of brilliance, but that consistency... bit of a familiar story.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 20-15 Srikanth Kidambi: Six match points, one saved by Srikanth.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 19-14 Srikanth Kidambi: Couple of really good net exchanges and Nishimoto is nearly there.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 17-13 Srikanth Kidambi: WHAT A RALLY! Fabulous, fabulous point from both players for the 20th point of this game. We’ll revisit this later if possible. Great defence from Srikanth too but Nishimoto prevails in the end.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 16-13 Srikanth Kidambi: Couple of quiet fist pumps.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 16-11 Srikanth Kidambi: ...and the next point, he sends a lift wide.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 15-11 Srikanth Kidambi: Srikanth has Nishimoto scrambling around... good rally from the Indian.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 14-10 Srikanth Kidambi: Sri pumps himself up as he gets the serve back. Wish he does this when the game is in the balance too.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 14-9 Srikanth Kidambi: Starting to slip away from Srikanth. Nishimoto’s net-game has been really good for the most part.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 11-8 Srikanth Kidambi: Some pretty rallies but Kenta Nishimoto with the better consistency and a 11-8 lead in the second game interval. The point before the interval was again Sri at his frustrating levels... a smash to kill, and goes wide.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 10-7 Srikanth Kidambi: Four straight points for Nishimoto.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 6-6 Srikanth Kidambi: What a point! Sri at his best, and also why he frustrates other times. Fabulous movement on court and such a clever winner. We are back level soon.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18, 5-3 Srikanth Kidambi: That is a really, really high quality rally that goes Nishimoto’s way after Srikanth doesn’t get the lift right from net. So many good shots in that rally.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 21-18 Srikanth Kidambi: The error does it for Sri again. Saves one game point but goes wide with his smash next. A largely solid opening game but Srikanth couldn’t convert it into a lead against the ever solid Kenta Nishimoto. Think just the one phase where Sri let Nishimoto go up 16-11 was critical. Otherwise it was even.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 20-17 Srikanth Kidambi: Srikanth is doing well to hang in there but every time he closes in, Kenta plls ahead. And with an error off his racket, Sri faces three game points.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 17-15 Srikanth Kidambi: Sri closes the gap to one but Nishimoto ends the run with a brilliant smash (that was actually returned well by the Indian) and a kill at the net.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 16-14 Srikanth Kidambi: There was a brief break in the internet connection and as the stream is back, the gap has been reduced by Sri.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 16-11 Srikanth Kidambi: The errors have started to creep in for Srikanth. And good pace from the top seed too. The first big lead of the game goes to Nishimoto.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 11-9 Srikanth Kidambi: A terrific defensive point rom Nishimoto but Srikanth eventually kills it with a smash and then closes the gap down to 1. The top seed does go into the interval with a decent lead but all to play for.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 9-6 Srikanth Kidambi: The top seed inching ahead now. Good play at the net by Nishimoto, an area Srikanth would have hoped to have more joy.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 6-6 Srikanth Kidambi: Both players exchanging serves here. Nice even start to the match.
MS QF, Kenta Nishimoto 3-3 Srikanth Kidambi: Srikanth moved into a lead, Nishimoto has levelled this now.
Men’s singles quarterfinals, Kenta Nishimoto vs Srikanth Kidambi: Warmups done, players are in the middle.
Men’s singles quarterfinals, Kenta Nishimoto vs Srikanth Kidambi: This is the 8th meeting between the two shuttlers and Srikanth leads 5-2.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of badminton. PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth will be in action in their respective quarter-finals at the Spain Masters Super 300. The duo are the last Indians standing.
A day that promised a lot, ended with a plethora of defeats for Indian shuttlers in the round of 16. Out of 10 matches on Thursday, only two saw Indian winners and one of those was an all-Indian battle between Srikanth and Sai Praneeth.
Fifth seed Srikanth is up against top seed Kenta Nishimoto while second seed PV Sindhu will take on Mia Blichfeldt.
Screenshots in the blog via BWF TV / Tournament Software