Saina Nehwal vs Akane Yamaguchi Live Score and Commentary Malaysia Open First Round

Saina obviously needs a lot of work mentally to get back to where she was.

FINAL SCORE: Akane Yamaguchi beats Saina Nehwal, 19-21, 21-13, 21-15

Yamaguchi wins it, 21-15

FIVE match points for Yamaguchi at 20-15

2 points for the Indian now....still trails 15-18

18-13 for Yamaguchi

16-13 for Yamaguchi....time is running out for Nehwal!

It is now 15-13 for the fourth seed.

In a mirror image of the second game, the Japanese is building on her lead again as Saina's game seems to have gone quiet for a while....14-12.

Now the Japanese inches ahead to 13-12.

It is 12-12....the rallies have definitely become longer and more gruelling.

3 points on the trot for the Indian....12-11.

After the break, a pumped-up Saina comes back to even the game, 11-11

Yamaguchi pockets two points to build an 11-9 lead at half-time.

And it is 9-9 now

Saina now trails 8-9....tight, tight contest

2 points on the trot for Saina to cut the lead to 7-8.

And she extends the lead to 8-5.

The diminutive Japanese is standing tall at the moment....she leads 7-5.

The two are tied at 5-5

Saina LEVELS at 4-4. Can she continue now?

It's four straight points for the Japanese as she leads 4-2 now.

Will it be a repeat of the second game or has Saina learnt from her mistakes?

And just like the previous games, Yamaguchi has come back to make it 2-2.

THIRD GAME

Saina opens up a 2-0 lead.

Wow! That was some comeback by the German Open champion! Took the game away from her illustrious opponent.

Yamaguchi takes the second game, 21-13.

20-13 with SEVEN game points.

It is 19-13 now for the fourth seed.

It is 18-12 for the Japanese.

And now the Japanese has built a big lead at 16-12. Saina seems to have lost the plot for a while.

Again Yamaguchi is upping her intensity and attack. She goes up 14-12.

After four consecutive points by the Japanese, Saina takes a point to make it 12-12.

Yamaguchi takes 3 points on the trot to level it at 11-11.

The rallies are getting longer. Of course, the young Japanese is trying to tire out the Indian. She now trails 10-11.

At half-time, Saina leads 11-8.

It is 10-7 now for the unseeded player.

But Saina has been cautious and has extended her lead just when things were getting too close. She is up 9-7.

Yamaguchi is trying to come back here and has reduced the gap to 5-6.

It is 6-3 now

It is 5-2 now for the Indian.

And now Saina is playing some quick, fiery points to go up to 4-2. She is taking no chances here!

SECOND GAME

It is 1-1 to start off things!

Nehwal takes the first game, 21-19

Yamaguchi saves one!!

Yamaguchi gets one point but the Indian pockets a vital point to have two game points in hand at 20-18

Can the diminutive Japanese catch up?

Saina takes two quick points to race ahead to 19-17

17-17 now

And once more the former World No. 1 has the advantage at 17-16