05:18 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
05:16 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Porntip Buranaprasertsuk takes the last two points quickly to close the door on Saina Nehwal with a 21-16, 19-21, 21-14 win.
05:14 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
And she is slowly inching towards the finish line as she makes it 19-14
05:14 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
The Thai builds on her lead to go up 18-14.
05:12 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
The Thai goes up 16-13. Time is running out. Can Saina stage an improbable comeback once more?
05:11 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Saina needs to summon the same fighting spirit and courage she showed in the latter stages of Game 2. The Thai is right now ahead 15-11.
05:10 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
On resumption, the Thai grabs two points to take a lead of 13-10.
05:08 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
At the mid-game interval, it is the Thai who has the advantage, albeit a slim one, as she leads 11-10
05:07 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
The game is all even once more as they are locked at 10-10
05:06 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
But the Thai takes a quick couple of points to lead 9-8
05:05 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Saina grabs the lead yet again to surge ahead 8-7. Can she hold on to it this time?
05:02 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
The early stages are now expectedly very competitive and the Thai has a very slim edge of 6-5
05:00 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
The Thai too is fighting back and makes it even at 4-4
04:59 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Game 3
Nehwal starts the third game with the same aggressive intent and leads 3-2.
04:58 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
The start to the decider will be critical. Saina cannot afford to lose a string of points.
04:56 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
From trailing 4-11 at the mid-game break to taking the second game 21-19, Saina Nehwal never ceases to amaze!
04:54 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
And Saina Nehwal is BACK!!!!!! She takes the second game 21-19.
04:53 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
And the turnaround is HERE! Nehwal has the lead for the first time in this game as she goes up 19-18
04:52 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Once more, Nehwal has reduced the deficit to just one point as she now trails 16-17.
04:51 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Nehwal now trails 14-16. Credit to the Thai too for not making it easy for Saina.
04:49 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
And she makes it 13-14 now. The lioness in Saina Nehwal has showed up!
04:48 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Saina has closed the gap and made it 8-11. The fightback is definitely ON!
04:46 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
It's an uphill task now but never count Saina Nehwal out! She has always been a fighter and she will not bow out without giving it her all. Currently, the Indian trails 8-12
04:44 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
As Saina is trying her best to get back into competitive mode, the Thai makes the most of it and goes into the mid-game break with a solid 11-4 lead.
04:41 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
The Thai builds on her lead to surge ahead 7-2.
04:41 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
GAME 2
Porntip Buranaprasertsuk is moving fast here and Nehwal is struggling a bit with her pace. Clearly, the rust is there. The Thai goes up 4-1.
04:39 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Saina is still feeling the effects of her long hiatus as she could not stop Porntip Buranaprasertsuk from surging to a 20-16 lead and convert on her very first game point to take the game, 21-16.
04:35 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Nehwal tried her best to assert herself here and took a slender lead of 16-15 before her opponent came back to level once more for 16-16
04:33 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
The Thai too is fighting back and thus we have an enthralling game on our hands. 14-14
04:31 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
And even makes it all level. The score is 13-13 now!
04:31 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
But Saina, the fighter is BACK! She cuts down the lead and closes in to 12-13.
04:29 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
After the break the Thai is still maintaining a three-point lead over her illustrious rival, 12-9.
04:27 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Saina is unable to stop her opponent from getting to a half-time lead. The Thai goes into the mid-game break with an 11-8 advantage.
04:26 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
The Thai has now jumped to a 9-7 lead as she continues to put pressure on the Indian.
04:24 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
But the World No. 13 Thai is exploiting Nehwal's movement and gets to level the score 6-6
04:23 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
04:23 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Nehwal now gets to add two more points to her kitty and soars to a 6-4 lead.
04:22 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
The early stages are getting competitive and Nehwal has a slim edge now - 4-3
04:21 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
PV Sindhu has wrapped up this game in 34 minutes and won the contest 21-12, 21-16
04:21 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
She could not have asked for an easier opponent. World No. 13 Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailandhas lost 9 out of 10 times to Saina and the Indian is expected to breathe easy here.
04:20 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Chia Hsin Lee 16-21 PV Sindhu - She takes it. Sindhu has taken the second game and the match. BRILLIANT from PV Sindhu.
04:19 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Meanwhile, three months after an ill-fated campaign at the Rio Olympics which led to a knee surgery and a consequent three-months hiatus, India's other golden girl Saina Nehwal is FINALLY back on the court!
04:18 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Chia Hsin Lee 15-19 PV Sindhu - Sindhu gets two more points. She is getting close.
04:16 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Chia Hsin Lee 14-17 PV Sindhu - Sindhu finally takes a point and if she can take a couple more, it will be match for her.
04:16 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Chia Hsin Lee 14-16 PV Sindhu - Lee is 2 points behind Sindhu and we are moving towards the business end of this game.
04:14 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Chia Hsin Lee 11-16 PV Sindhu - A string of continuous points from Lee and she is well within Sindhu's tally of 15.
04:13 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Chia Hsin Lee 8-15 PV Sindhu - Lee gets a couple of points but I think it is too late.
04:12 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Chia Hsin Lee 6-15 PV Sindhu - Sindhu is in the driver's seat here. She should seal the match soon.
04:09 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Chia Hsin Lee 4-11 PV Sindhu - We are just about half an hour into the game and Sindhu has been all class today.
04:09 (GMT)16 NOV 2016
Chia Hsin Lee 4-11 PV Sindhu - She has added two more points. The end is looking near for Lee.
Saina might have lost but not before reminding the world what a fighter she still is! This was her very first match after three months of hiatus that saw her having a knee surgery. If this is the start, then surely better things are to come soon and she won't take long to get back to where she belongs!