New Delhi: India cruised into the semifinals of the badminton mixed team event with a 3-0 victory over Canada at the Commonwealth Games here on Thursday.
India will now face England, who had beaten them 3-2 at the 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 on quarterfinal 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 semifinal 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 on 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.
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