Sindhu enters semis; Saina out of HK Series

The only time Saina and Sindhu clashed at the international circuit was at the 2014 India Grand Prix gold tournament and it was the senior shuttler who had the last laugh in a two-game match. Sindhu staved off a stiff challenge from Xiaoyu Liang 21-17 21-23 21-18 in a quarterfinal match that lasted an hour and 19 minutes at the Hong Kong Coliseum. Fifth-seeded Saina, meanwhile, failed to cross the hurdle as she was stunned by unseeded local shuttler Cheung Ngan Yi 8-21 21-18 1921. In the latest BWF rankings, Sindhu has jumped two places to grab the ninth spot, while Saina, who is on a comeback trail after recovering from a serious injury, slipped five places to 11th.