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Saina Enters All England Championships Semifinal With Win Over Old Foe Wang Yihan

Saina Enters All England Semis With Win Over Old Foe Wang Yihan
India's Saina Nehwal returns a shot to South Korea's Sung Ji-hyun during the women's Badminton team semifinal match at the 17th Asian Games Sunday, Sept. 21, 2014 in Incheon, South Korea. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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India's Saina Nehwal returns a shot to South Korea's Sung Ji-hyun during the women's Badminton team semifinal match at the 17th Asian Games Sunday, Sept. 21, 2014 in Incheon, South Korea. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Birmingham — Indian ace Saina Nehwal sailed into the All England Championships semifinal after beating her Chinese nemesis Wang Yihan for the first time in more than two years here.

The third seeded Indian prevailed 21-19 21-6 in a 39-minute contest against the fifth seed, who had an intimidating 8-1 overall record against Saina before the match.

Saina will now face another Chinese Sun Yu in the last-four stage. Yu advanced after her Thai rival, eighth seed Ratchanok Intanon, retired midway through the match with the Chinese player leading 21-11 19-21 19-13.

It was an impressive performance by Saina in her quarterfinal match as she got past Yihan, whose only previous loss to the Indian was forced by injury.

The opening game was a neck and neck battle but Saina kept her composure to outwit Yihan and take the early initiative. The second game was Saina all the way as Yihan crumbled rather inexplicably.

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