Olympics: Saina, Vijender Within Sniffing Distance Of a Medal

Top seed Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia but in the end lost the men's singles quarter final 19-21, 11-21 after Inspired by Saina's performance, her compatriot shuttler Parupalli Kashyap played his heart out against a 47-minute fight.

The unheralded Kashyap, who has impressed many with his great run in the competition, led his fancied opponent for most part of the opening game but ultimately submitted to the Malaysian's vast experience. Up 1-0, Wei took the second game and match comfortably.

However, before Saina took to the court, India's date with the Olympics began with a double heartbreak as highly-rated double trap marksman Ronjan Singh Sodhi failed to make the final while pugilist Jai Bhagwan fell by the wayside in the pre-quarterfinals.

World No.5 Saina took only 39 minutes to pack off the 33-year-old veteran Baun, a two-time winner of the All England championship, and came closer to a medal.

The Indian took off in excellent form with her cross-court and traditional sliced smashes against the error-prone Baun, who found her serve under constant pressure. Saina won the opening game on her fourth game point.