Saina Nehwal vs Pornpawee Chochuwong, Live Badminton Score and Updates, Japan Open Super Series 2017 Round 1

The Korea Open champion PV Sindhu is yet to begin her challenge. Her match will be in a short while from now.

Follow it here.

What a match that promises to be!

And with that win, she has set up the BLOCKBUSTER SECOND ROUND CLASH WITH THE OLYMPIC CHAMPION CAROLINA MARIN

Nehwal is into the pre-quarter-finals!!!!! After that tough first half of the first game, Saina just hit cruise control button. In the second game, the young Thai was just no match for her highly accomplished rival!

The match lasted 39 minutes.

Final score: Saina Nehwal wins, 21-17, 21-9

And with a thorough dominance in the second game, Saina has wrapped it up 21-9

Nehwal leads 11-4 at the interval.

10-4....it's been all Saina for the last few points!!

And the gap is increasing further....8-4 lead for Nehwal

And Saina is imposing her game here....6-4

Back to long rallies and all level at 3-3

It's 3-2 now for Saina

2-1 for the Indian

SECOND GAME

1-0 to Nehwal!!

And Saina needs only one to convert!

21-17 to Nehwal

Saina halts her mini momentum and races ahead to have THREE game points in hand at 20-17

18-17 now as Chochuwong fighting back hard.

And now the former World No. 1 is accelerating! Up at 18-15

Saina still doing just enough to keep her nose in front...16-15

15-14..Chochuwong is not going away anywhere!!

14-13 to Nehwal now..the game is still pretty tight.

The rallies are getting longer and Saina seems to have established a foothold here..13-12

AND SAINA HAS LEVELLED!!!!!!!

12-12

The Thai is still ahead...12-10

At the interval, the Thai is up 11-9

9-10....the comeback has started!

SHE DOES! 8-10 now

Saina gets two points in a row to make it 7-10...can she continue?

And 10-5 for the Thai...wow she looks pretty determined at the moment!

9-5 for Chochuwong

8-5 for the Thai

Looks like Saina still hasn't got into the groove and struggling with her rhythm

7-5 for the Thai

Saina reduced the deficit to just a solitary point only for Pornpawee to go up further at 6-4

And she goes up further...5-3

2 points on the trot for the young Thai....4-3

We are back to level now..3-3

Saina grabs the lead for the first time....3-2

Saina makes it level at 2-2 super quick

2-1 to Chochuwong

The Thai takes the first point

And we are under way!

The players are on court now. We are just a couple of minutes away from the match now.

The match is delayed as the preceding matches have taken longer time. Stay tuned to the blog for the latest updates.

Read our detailed round-up of Day 1 of the Japan Open 2017.

Read our detailed Japan Open 2017 preview.

The match is scheduled to start at 12 noon IST on Wednesday, September, 20.

Good morning and welcome to the Sportskeeda liveblog of the Japan Open Superseries 2017. Saina Nehwal makes her much-awaited return to the circuit following her bronze medal-winning effort at the World Championships in Glasgow in August.

All badminton fans will now be interested in seeing if she can build on it.

Saina has a tough draw at the Japan Open as she is headed for a potential second-round clash with the reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin. But to be ready for Marin, Saina needs a good performance in the first round.

The Indian could not have asked for a better opening round opponent. World No. 25 Pornpawee Chochuwong has played Saina twice this year and both times the former World No. 1 emerged a winner in straight games.

The 2-0 head-to-head record against the young Thai should boost the currently 12th ranked Nehwal's confidence by miles and if she can get yet another win in straight games, it will do a world of good to Nehwal ahead of that possible blockbuster showdown with Marin too.

Saina Nehwal vs Pornpawee Chochuwong, Live Badminton Score and Updates, Japan Open Super Series 2017 Round 1

Saina wins 21-17, 21-9 to enter the second round.