Two-time bronze-winner P V Sindhu stayed on course for another medal after a stunning display while Saina Nehwal and doubles combine of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa also put themselves in line for a podium finish in the World Badminton Championship here on Thursday.
It was women power on display on Thursday as Sindhu stunned Olympic champion and former World No. 1 Chinese li Xuerui 21-17, 14-21, 21-17 in a battle that lasted 50 minutes, while Olympic bronze medallist Saina too made it to the final eight for the sixth time after beating 14th-seeded Sayaka Takahashi of Japan 21-18, 21-14.
"I'm happy, I played well. Over all it was a good match. It was anyone's game in the decider. It was 14 all, so there I took the lead and I won. So hope I play well in the next match too," Sindhu said.
The 11th seeded Sindhu will next take on eighth seeded Sung Ji-hyun of South Korea, whom she has beaten thrice in the past, while second seed Saina will face old nemesis Wang Yihan of China, who has beaten the Indian nine times in the last 11 meetings.
Glasgow Commonwealth Games silver medallists Jwala and Ashwini too notched up a thrilling 21-15, 18-21, 21-19 over eighth seed Japanese pair of Reika Kakiiwa and Miyuki Maeda in a 58-minute battle.
The 2011 edition bronze medallist pair will next fight it out with another World No 17 Japanese combo of Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yonao.
However, there was heartbreak for India in the men's singles competition as World No 3 Kidambi Srikanth and World No. 12 H S Prannoy lost their respective matches.
While third seed Srikanth suffered a 21-14, 17-21, 21-23 loss to 13th seed Hu Yun of Hong Kong, Prannoy went down 16-21, 21-19, 18-21 to Viktor Axelsen of Denmark.
long, Marin advance
Defending singles champions Chen long of China and Carolina Marin of Denmark advanced to the quarterfinals.
The top-seeded long defeated Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk of Thailand 21-17, 21-18 and will next face Viktor Axelsen of Denmark.
In the women's singles, Marin, who fell and hurt her ankle in the first set needed 74 minutes to get the better of the unheralded Pai Yu Po of Taiwan, eventually winning 21-11, 18-21, 21-17.