Saina clinches Singapore Open Super Series

Singapore, Jun 20 (PTI) Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal
put behind a nervy start to clinch the second Super Series
title of her career by winning the Singapore Open with a
straight-game triumph over qualifier Tzu Ying Tai in the
finals here on Sunday.
Top seed Saina took just 33 minutes to beat Chinese
Taipei's Tai 21-18 21-15 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium here.
The world number six, who was the lone Indian left if
fray after others crashed out by the semifinal stage, had
bagged her maiden Super Series title in June last year when
she claimed the top honours at the Indonesian Open.
"I never expected to reach the finals as there were two
good Chinese players in the draw but I believed in myself and
got the result I wanted," the jubilant 20-year-old said.
The in-form Saina came here after winning the India Open
Grand Prix Gold title only last week.
"The Indian Open gave me the confidence to play well
here," she said.
In a match that was a close affair to start with, Saina
was locked 18-18 with her rival after trailing 8-14 at one
stage. But Saina clinched the opening game with seven smash
winners to show against her rival's three.
In the second game, Saina displayed a better net game and
outwitted her rival in rallies to emerge triumphant.
Saina said she kept gaining in confidence as the match
progressed.
"I was nervous at the start of the match but I maintained
my strategy of playing more rallies," she said.
"I was down 8-14 in the first game but I just told myself
that 'play your best and give your 100 per cent'. I think that
really worked well for me," she added.
Saina said her opponent, despite being a mere qualifier,
had some tricks to unsettle her.
"She defeated a few good players in the run-up to the
finals. She was in good rhythm and her strokes were falling
well. At the starting, I wasn't comfortable with her game. She
had some tricky shots," she said.
But as the minutes ticked by, Saina said she got a hang
of her rival's strategy.
"Slowly, I studied her game. I was down and very nervous
that I would lose the match but I had spirit to fight it out,"
she said. PTI PM
MYR