By IANS,
New Delhi : India cruised into the semi-finals of the badminton mixed team event with a 3-0 victory over Canada at the Commonwealth Games here Thursday.
India will now face England, who had beaten them 3-2 at Melbourne Games four years ago at the same stage, for a place in the final.
India had won bronze at Melbourne.
England beat Scotland 3-1 in the other quarter-final Thursday.
India’s star shuttler Saina Nehwal, who upset Tracy Hallam of England in Melbourne in that tie, said India will have a 40-60 chance in the semi-final in the evening.
India is counting on the expertise of Saina and the mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V. Diju to pull off two matches for the hosts. Gutta and Diju, ranked 11, will be up against Nathan Robertson and Jenny Wallowrk, world No. 10.
“It will be a tricky tie against England. I am hoping that in women’s doubles (Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa), we can pull off one victory,” said World No. 3 Saina, who beat Canada’s Anna Rice 21-16, 21-13 Thursday morning.
“It was a difficult match against Anna. I last played her in 2008 and she has improved a lot,” said Saina, who has partnered Anna in doubles in some international tournaments.
Saina closed the tie for India after Gutta and Diju defeated Grace Gao and NG Toby 21-8, 21-12 and Chetan Anand survived a scare to prevail 21-18, 21-17 over David Snider.
Snider rallied beautifully in the second game from 6-15 to take 10 points in a row and looked like drawing level, before Anand made a comeback to clinch the issue.
“It was a wake up call for me. I think I was a bit relaxed and he was retrieving the shuttle well. I was in double mind while playing the shots and he caught up with me. But when he levelled the game, I played rallies and finished off the points. I have to be more aggressive,” Anand said.
Anand, World No. 18, will be up against England’s star player Rajiv Ouseph, World No. 16, in the evening.