Korea Open 2018: Saina Nehwal vs Kim Hyo Min First Round, Live Score and Match Updates

Nehwal def Kim Hyo Min 21-12, 21-11 in 40 minutes to enter the second round

Updated: 26 September 2018 10:48 IST - Published: 26 September 2018 10:16 IST

And that wraps up our live coverage of this match. Do join us tomorrow as we bring you live updates from Saina Nehwal's second round match.

Goodbye!

That was a commanding display from the former World No. 1. That will give her a lot of confidence as she progresses deeper into this Super 500 tournament.

AND SAINA NEHWAL HAS WON HER FIRST ROUND MATCH AT THE KOREA OPEN!!!!!

SHE gets the 21-12, 21-11 win in 40 minutes!!!

Saina has reached match points now!

20-11

Two quick, attacking points for the Indian, who jumps ahead to 18-10

The pace of the match has slowed down and it is now 16-10 in favour of Saina

A resilient Kim fights back to take 2 points in row and she now trails 9-13

The rallies are getting longer now but that hasn't bothered Saina so far.

She leads 13-7

It's 12-7 to Nehwal after the mid-game break.

Kim pulled back one point but Saina got another point soon after to take an 11-6 lead at the mid-game interval.

The difference is now of five points as Nehwal leads 10-5

It's 8-4 in Saina's favour

A calm and focussed Saina has ensured that she steadily keeps increasing the gap between the two players. From 5-3, she has gone up to 7-3 now.

And Saina makes it 4-2

Saina picks up from where she had left in Game 1.

It's 3-1 to Nehwal at the start of the second game.

And Nehwal takes the first game by a score of 21-12

That was a dominating display from the Indian!!

It's 19-11 to the Indian now.

The points are pretty fast and both the players have resorted to attacking play in these conditions.

Saina quickly redeems her mistakes and rockets up to 18-10

Just three points away from taking the first game!

Suddenly, a shift in momentum here as Kim disrupts Saina's smooth flow.

She takes three points in a row to close the gap to 8-14

Saina has ensured that she keeps bagging the points pretty effortlessly.

It's 12-5 to the Indian after the break.

It has been rather easy for Saina to handle her Korean opponent so far. Nehwal has managed to add FIVE POINTS ON THE TROT to stretch her lead to 11-3 at the mid-game interval.

Nehwal went up to 6-3 after breaking away from a tie of 2-2

Good morning and welcome to the Sportskeeda live updates of the Korea Open 2018 first round. Saina Nehwal is leading the Indian charge at this tournament as she hopes to win her first title of the season in the BWF circuit. She faces Korea's Kim Hyo Min for a place in the second round.