Saina Nehwal wins Chinese Open

Safin

Saina wins Chinese Taipei Open Grand Prix Badminton Championship

"I guess this is perhaps my best performance so far. Of course my show in Beijing Olympics gave me a lot of confidence but I think I played here really well" - Saina Nehwal

Ace Indian woman shuttler Saina Nehwal did the country proud by winning the Chinese Taipei Open Grand Prix Gold Championship in a closely fought battle on Sunday. With this win, Saina became first Indian woman shuttler with two Grand Prix crowns under her belt.

The second-seeded Indian, who won the Philippines Open Grand Prix in May 2006, beat unseeded Malaysian Li Ya Lydia Cheah 21-8, 21-19 in the final.

Saina, who reached the Olympic quarter-finals a couple of weeks back in Beijing, played to a plan and attacked her opponent from the word go.

The tactics paid off well for the world number 14 who gave no chance to her Malaysian rival, a slow mover on the court, to bridge the gap in the first game.

The second game, though, saw a determined Cheah fight back but the Indian was up to the task and ran away with the match after some anxious moments.

"I guess this is perhaps my best performance so far. Of course my show in Beijing Olympics gave me a lot of confidence but I think I played here really well," Saina said.

Asked if she would rate today's win higher than her 2006 Philippines Open triumph, Saina said, "Philippines Open was a four-star event and this is five-star and it's unbelievable that I won this title."

I think we have found a great future prospect in Badminton with Saina