When it comes to badminton and especially when we talk about Indian shuttlers then there are only few we can name and for the record only few have managed to reach the top. Saina Nehwal is indeed one of the very famous and deserving Indian badminton players who have always managed to grab attention by her extra ordinary skills and efforts.
Rio Olympics are round the corner and what a boost it can be if you win a tournament before the Olympics. Indian ace Saina Nehwal clinched her second Australian Open title after defeating China’s Sun Yu in a thrilling three-game final of the Super Series badminton tournament in Sydney on Sunday. The 26-year-old from Hyderabad eked out a 11-21 21-14 21-19 over the World No. 12 Sun in a fighting summit clash that lasted an hour and 11 minutes in Sydney.
The first game got off to a close start with both players looking confident in the final, and the scores were tied at 4-4 during the initial exchanges. But Sun Yu looked better and used her height and reach to good advantage against the Indian shuttler, who made some errors at the net. Sun Yu took a lead of 10-5, after which it was all about the Chinese shuttler, who looked in complete control of the first game, and won 21-11. There was serious need for Saina to get back into the final by clinching the second game, and she did exactly that. Saina looked sharp, and the match was tight with the score reading 4-4 again. With some good plays in the second game, Saina was forcing Sun Yu to make those errors, helping her earn points.
The match became even more interesting with both the players showing fine skills at the net as well as the back end of the court. Saina was inching closer to the title, with a lead of 15-13 in the deciding game, and she increased the point advantage with some powerful plays to 17-14. After a few close points, Saina managed to win the third game, 21-19, along with it the Australian Open title as well.
(Image source= Getty Images)
