Malaysia Masters 2017: Saina Nehwal vs Yip Pui Yin semi-finals live commentary and match updates

Saina Nehwal beats Yip Pui Yin, 21-13, 21-10 to enter the final.

Updated: 21 January 2017 19:10 IST - Published: 21 January 2017 18:16 IST

That wraps up our live coverage of the 2017 Malaysia Masters for today. Hope you all enjoyed it. Do join us tomorrow for the final. Goodbye!

That was quite a statement from the former World No. 1. She is very much near to her best now. It is just a matter of time before she claws her way back to the top echelons again!

Wow, Saina reaches the final of her first tournament of the new season.

Saina Nehwal is INTO THE FINAL OF THE MALAYSIA MASTERS!!!!!!

Yin's return lands long and SAINA WINS, 21-13, 21-10

20-10 with 10 match points

It is 19-10 for Saina

Yin finds her shot blocked by the net and it is 18-10 for Nehwal.

Yin can't capitalize on her chances. Her high shot drops in the tramlines. Saina is now up 16-9

A couple of errors from Saina's racquet and the gap has been reduced to 14-8.

Nehwal is thoroughly intimidating her opponent here. Up now 14-6.

Wow! What a fabulous inside-out forehand smash! Saina is now up 11-5 at the break.

A few errors have crept into Saina's game and have allowed the Hong Kong shuttler to reduce the deficit to 5-8.

With yet another huge smash down-the-line Nehwal has surged to an 8-3 lead.

Sizzling Saina is in full control at 6-0.

A big crosscourt forehand slice and Nehwal is now cruising, 4-0.

GAME 2

Nehwal is in full attacking mode! She opens up a 2-0 lead.

With a huge smash, the Indian takes the first game, 21-13 over the World No. 30.

Yin is looking listless and has pretty much run out of ideas! It is 19-13 for Saina.

Yin is not able to keep pace with the Indian now. Saina is racing through the game now. Up now 17-13.

Great smash and lead is extended to 14-12.

Wonderful defence from Nehwal and she is back in the lead at 13-12.

The stadium is reverberating with chants of 'Saina, Saina'.

A fiery shot directed to Yin's backhand and Saina has closed the gap to 11-12.

Saina errs on return and the lead is 12-9.

It's 11-9 for Yin at the mid-game interval.

Big come on from Nehwal and she is now trailing 9-10.

Big smash from Yin and she leads 10-8.

Much to the delight of the crowd, Saina has made it 8-9.

Great all-court movement from Saina. She has reduced the deficit to 2 points now at 7-9.

After that blazing start, Saina has somehow gone off the boil a bit. There's no doubt that she will find a way to come back.

Saina is struggling at the net at the moment and is trailing 5-8.

Great drop from Yin and the World No. 30 goes up, 6-4.

Yin has come up with some great play and has levelled at 4-4

As errors continue to spray from Yin's racquet, Saina has raced ahead to 4-1.

A great rally and Saina takes the point, 2-1.

Yin takes the first point but Saina forces an error, 1-1.

And we are under way!

Good evening and welcome to the Sportskeeda liveblog of the 2017 Malaysia Masters semi-finals. Saina Nehwal is the top seed at this tournament and has looked good so far. She has won all three of her matches so far without dropping a game.

She faces the fifth seed Yip Pui Yin in the semi-finals, a player against whom she has a 6-2 head-to-head record.