145;Confident146; Saina strikes gold

Saina Nehwal doesn8217;t believe in half measures. The 18-year old shuttler might have missed out on a medal at the Beijing...

Saina Nehwal doesn8217;t believe in half measures. The 18-year old shuttler might have missed out on a medal at the Beijing Olympics last month, but that didn8217;t put her charge on hold. On Sunday, she added another feather to her cap by winning the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold Open, defeating Malaysian Li Ya Lydia Cheah 21-8, 21-19 in the final.

Her second international title after the four-star Philippines Open in 2006, it makes her India8217;s most successful woman shuttler at the international level. The fact that the win has come two years after her maiden title triumph makes it even more special. 8220;It definitely feels good to win a title,8221; Saina told The Indian Express over the phone from Taipei after the match.

8220;But honestly speaking, I never think about numbers. I just try to give my best in every tournament and every game that I play and go all out for a win. Coming after 2006, this is definitely a precious win. I had worked hard for this tournament and I was confident going into the final. I have been in good form, I played well today and I think I deserved to win,8221; the Hyderabadi teenager added.

Best shot every time

She wasn8217;t being arrogant. Her final opponent was ranked 58 places below her in the world rankings 8212; Saina is 14th, Cheah 72nd. The second-seeded Indian was quick on court, her opponent relatively slower. Cheah8217;s strongest weapons were her half smashes, which Saina had no trouble countering. She had an easy semi-final outing against Indonesian Pia Bernadet, who had upset Saina8217;s nemesis Maria Yulianti earlier.

8220;There are times when everything falls in place; sometimes, it just isn8217;t your day. That was what happened in Beijing. But for me the most important thing is to give my best shot every time,8221; Saina said.

Saina came with a plan and attacked her opponent from the word go. She blew away the Malaysian in the first game and survived a couple of anxious moments in the second before clinching the issue in less than an hour.

With 7000 ranking points from the win, she is set to climb two places to 12th in the world rankings, inching closer to her aim finishing inside the top 10 by the yearend. 8220;It8217;s not easy, because the other girls in the top league are all far ahead in terms of points, but if I continue to win tournaments, I am sure I can do it,8221; she said confidently.

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And confidence is what put Saina in a different league. Reaching quarter-finals and semi-finals consistently but failing to win could8217;ve demoralised others, but it didn8217;t affect her. 8220;I never saw it that way 8212; that I am the first Indian woman to be so successful in badminton. It8217;s all about believing in yourself. Of course, there are girls in India who are talented but seem to have some kind of a metal block, thinking that the Chinese or the Indonesians are strong and dominant. But my thinking is that if we work as hard as they do, there is no reason why we can8217;t be as good as them. I have never thought of pressure against any opponent.8221;

She has become an icon at home after her show in Beijing, nevertheless the pain of losing out of an Olympic medal still pinches Saina.

8220;Olympics are the biggest stage, and come only once in four years. So that disappointment will always be there. But it has also made me stronger and I have put it behind me. I8217;m looking forward to winning more and more tournaments and go for the gold in 2012,8221; she said.

Saina next plays in the Japan Open starting September 16 before the China Masters from September 23-28.