Saina Nehwal vs Martina Repiska, Thailand Open GP Gold 2017 Round 1 - As it happened

Final score - Saina 21-5 21-10 Repiska

Updated: 31 May 2017 20:37 IST - Published: May, 31 2017 08:27 PM IST

The match has been scheduled for 9 PM local tomorrow, which means 7.30 PM IST. That's all from us today, see you tomorrow for Saina's next match.

A routine win for Saina, that sends her into the Round of 16. She will face Malaysian Ying Ying Lee tomorrow for a place in the quarterfinals.

IT'S A WIN FOR SAINA! The second seed records a comfortable 21-5 21-10 win to move into the second round.

Match point at 20-9 for the Indian.

Saina picks up two more points on the bounce to make it 19-8.

17-8 now to Saina. Four more points and she's through to the next round!

Saina cruising at 15-7 in the second game.

It's 14-6 now in favour of the Indian. Just seven more points to go!

At the interval in the second game, Saina holds an 11-5 advantage.

Is the comeback on? The Slovak shuttler reels off four points in a row to reduce the deficit to 7-5.

The Indian has won seven out of the first nine points on offer. She has a commanding 7-2 lead.

A strong start by Saina in the second game as well as she takes the first four points.

FIRST GAME TO SAINA! The Indian strolls to a first-game win, giving up just five points. Will the second game be a more even contest?

Saina should see the first game through comfortably. She leads 19-5.

Finally some relief for the Slovak as she wins a point after losing 12 in a row.

HOT STREAK! Nehwal is now 16-3 up in the first game.

At the interval, Nehwal has a comfortable 11-3 lead.

Nehwal is in the ascendancy now. From 4-3 up, she takes six points in a row to make it 10-3.

A good start by the Indian. She leads 4-2 in the first game.

Saina's match is underway!

A valiant effort by the young Indian though. She will surely be disappointed at not taking the match into the deciding game.

THE TOP SEED SURVIVES! Down 15-18, Intanon takes six points in a row to clinch the game and the match.

It is all square at 18-18 in the second game. Great tenacity by the Thai, who was down 3-12 at one point.

Rituparna is going out all guns blazing in the second. She leads 15-8!

The top-seeded Thai takes the first game by a whisker! The score was 21-19.

We're locked at 3-3 in the first game of the match between Intanon and Rituparna Das. Can the Indian pull off an upset?

The Intanon-Rituparna match is next in line and will begin shortly. Nehwal's match will be after it!

Nehwal's match will take atleast half an hour more, since there are quite a few lined up before hers, including one between top seed and local favourite Ratchanok Intanon and India's Rituparna Das. Stay tuned for latest updates here!

Looks like the match will begin sometime after 6 PM as proceedings so far have gone longer than the planned timings. In the meantime, Sai Praneeth has booked his place in the next round with a comfortable 21-5 21-13 win.

Saina Nehwal will start her Thailand Open campaign against Martina Repiska today evening. Nehwal had pulled out of the Sudirman Cup earlier this month due to personal reasons and she will be looking to form on her return to the court and lift the title by the end of the week.

The Indian starts as the second seed behind local favourite Ratchanok Intanon and will begin the competition with a matchup against the 21-year-old Slovak. The two have never met before and Nehwal will be looking to make quick work of Repiska and move into the next round.

Nehwal, a former world number one, injured her knee at the Rio Olympics and has struggled to hit top gear since then. She has faced early exits in the last few tournaments she has played and has been replaced by PV Sindhu as the poster girl of Indian badminton.

The Thailand Open is the perfect opportunity for Nehwal to return to form and a strong showing her will put her in good stead for the Indonesian Super Series in two weeks time.

Follow all the live updates here! The match is scheduled to begin at 6 PM Indian Standard Time.

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