It was a rousing return for the country’s top woman shuttler when she touched base at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here this evening. Saina Nehwal fresh from a successful outing at Basel where she retained the Swiss Open title, her first major in a year, was beaming all along. There was freshness to her approach, despite the jet-lag, when she interacted for a brief while with the media at the airport lounge.
The World Number 5 said she was able to prove several points with the defence of the important title, which means a lot to me. ‘It comes as a morale-booster, particularly considering that this is the Olympic year. I am sure this will help me re-strategise my approach to the game. More than anything, I have reached a stage where the formidable Chinese wall is gradually getting penetrated into,’ she said. Saina said she has been picking up on her confidence levels. Adaptability has been of a top order, she said, which was helping her to remove cobwebs about Chinese dominations.
‘The fact that I could master two of the top Chinese opponents more than amply demonstrates that I am in line for a good showing in London. Right now, I will focus on reorienting my game. Although, I will be participating in a couple of more tournaments ahead of the Summer Olympics, I hope to toughen my stance and firm up the killer instinct,’ she added. The priority area is to get into the best of physical shape. ‘On that count, I will work on physical conditioning more intensely. I will have to not only stay match-fit but also avoid getting injured. My target is a podium finish at London and I will go all out to ensure the same,’ she said. UNI