Indonesia Masters: Sensational Saina enters final

TIL Desk Sports/ Saina Nehwal made a perfect start to the new season, reaching the women’s singles final of the $ 350,000 Indonesia Masters with a thrilling straight-game win over world no 4 Ratchanok Inthanon of Thailand in Jakarta, on Saturday.

The former world no 1, who has won thrice in Indonesia, dished out a spirited performance to overcome a fighting Ratchanok 21-19, 21-19 in the semifinal lasting 48 minutes.

Saina, who had a 8-5 head-to-head record against the 2013 World Champion Ratchanok, displayed tremendous fighting spirit as she erased a 6-10 deficit in the opening game and held on to the fort despite a late charge by the Thai shuttler in the second game.

Saina, who reached the final of an international competition after a year following her title triumph at Malaysia Masters last year, will play world no 1 Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei or Chinese eighth seed He Bingjiao in the final on Sunday.