Indian shuttlers go down 2-3 to England in semis

Melbourne, Mar 19 (UNI) Despite Saina Nehwal's outstanding performance, England pipped India 3-2 in the see-saw semifinal of the badminton team event of the Commonwealth Games here tonight.

National champion Saina Nehwal was clearly the pick of the Indian shuttlers today. The Hyderabad girl slayed two leading players in the quarterfinal and semifinal to raise hope for India's upset entry into the final but that was not to be.

In the quarterfinals, India outplayed fancied Singapore 3-1 and it was Saina Nehwal who led the team's victory charge by shocking world number 12 Li Li 21-15, 21-14 in 32 minutes.

The semifinal contest between India and England went to wire as the former put up a stunning display of fighting badminton.

England, who had blanked India 5-0 in the last league match yesterday, could not imagine the kind of resistance they would have to face within 24 hours of the rout.

The English side started with a win when their mixed pair James Robertson and Gali Elizeabeth outlasted V Diju and Trupti Murgunde in straight games 21-10, 21-7 in just 21 minutes.

However, the Indians had other plans. The team think-tank fielded Anup Sridhar in the men's singles and the tall lanky National champion took 30 minutes to overpower Aamir Ghaffar 21-15, 21-14 -- both the games lasting 15 minutes each.

Ghaffar, who had beaten Chetan Anand yesterday, found Anup a very tough customer to deal with. The Indian displayed an attacking, stroke-filled game and his rival found it hard to stay put for the fight.

Having drawn parity, Indian morale was very high as Sania Nehwal took the court against world number nine Tracey Jayne Hallam and what a match it turned out.

As the match started, it looked as if Hallam was going to be a runaway winner but the Indian champion played such a forceful game that she halted the British player in her tracks.

Saina was not afraid of playing the long rallies and in the end it was she who won most points from these rallies.

Hallam indulged in long rallies as she tried to tire her rival but Sania played effortless game and in the process the English player got tired herself.

Sania matched Tracey point by point and after levelling 15-15 in the first game, committed some unfiorced errors to trail 18-20 but the Hyderbad girl did not give in and recovered fast enough not only to equalise but to win the game 23-21.

The second game was even better for the Indian as she, with her power play, smashed her rival out to clinch it 21-15 to win the match to give India a 2-1 lead.

But after that, Indian men and women doubles pairs could not capitalise on the lead and they lost their matches and in the process their hope of making it to the finals were dashed.

In the men's doubles, Rupesh Kumar and Sanave Thomas frittered away points at crucial moments and lost nerves and the match against Ian Anthony Clark and James Robert Blair 19-21, 19-21 in 38 minutes.

Having levelled the match 2-2, England's women double duo D V Kellogg and G E Emms overpowered Jwala Gutta and Shruti Kurian in the decider 21-11, 21-16 in just about 26 minutes to book the place in the final.

In other semi final Malaysia beat New Zealand 3-1.

India will face New Zealand for the third place and bronze medal tomorrow.

Following is the result of the quarterfinal match played earlier between India and Singapore: Anup Sridhar bt Lee Yen Hui Kendrick 21-23, 21-19, 21-16; Saina Nehwal bt Li Li 21-15, 21-14; V Diju/Jwala Gutta lost to H Saputra/Li Yujia 21-19, 16-21, 8-21; Rupesh Kumar/S Thomas (MD) beat R Susilo/H Saputra 21-15, 21-18.

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