New Delhi, June 20: Saina Nehwal came up with her best showing at the Super Series events in the last six months when she outdid South Korean Hwang Sung Hwan 21-17, 11-21, 21-15 to enter the semi-finals of the Indonesian Super Series badminton championships in Jakarta on Friday.
Saina came up with her best performance in December when she made it to the semi-finals of the Malaysian Super Series. She beat the unseeded Hwang, who had upset fourth seed Wang Chen.
In the opening game, it was Saina who dictated terms with her powerful smashes and cross court drop shots. The Indian did not opt for the long rallies and preferred to attack from the opening point.
The Hyderabadi wrapped up the opening game just in nine minutes. However, in the second game, Saina was affected by the drift and made some mistakes.
It was neck-and-neck before Hwang pulled away after taking a 11-8 lead to win the game in 14 minutes.
In the decider, it was Saina who enjoyed the lead throughout.
Her smashes were working to perfection and Hwang’s dependable net game deserted her. Saina went on to win the game 21- 15 much to her relief.
“This win means a lot to me. It is my first Super Series semi-final in about six months. Believe me it really boosts your confidence if you make it to the semi- finals of a Super Series event,” she added.
Asked about her chances against seventh seed Lu Lan, the All England champion, Saina said it all depends on who plays better on the day.
“She (Lu) has a very good game. I will have to be at my best to prevail over her. Let’s see what happens,” she said.
This win could not have come at a better time for the Indian who has dropped to eight in the world rankings.
“This win has come at a right time for me. Going one place down is nothing to worry about. But then, in the highest echelons of sport, you have to be prepared for anything,” Saina explained.
Chief national coach Pullela Gopi Chand was happy that her ward had managed to win a three game battle. “She (Saina) was getting into the habit of playing three games. Unfortunately, she lost a few of them, including the last one in the quarter- finals at Singapore after she had won the first game. This is a good result for her,” Gopi Chand said.
Gopi also added that the drift inside the stadium was troubling a lot of players. “Saina said that the players were finding it difficult to tackle the wind drift in the stadiums. Today, she played with a plan to counter the wind. And that was the key to her win,” added Gopi Chand.
Gopi Chand also feels that the semi- final will be a tough encounter. “Lu is in good touch.
It will be a tight match. But, at the same time, Saina has a bright chance to enter the final,” said Gopi Chand. If Saina enters the final, she could even crack into top five of the world rankings. But she is not thinking about all that. Her sole objective now is to beat Lu and make it to the final.
—–Agencies