Bolt from the blue for Saina

Setback for India Open as top seed loses to Japans Ai Goto 17-21 19-21

Japans Ai Goto was struggling to string two words of English together after beating top seed and World No.4 Saina Nehwal,the star of the India Open Super Series,in the first round. The smile on Gotos face and the excitement among a bevy of coaches who surrounded the short Japanese was a picture of contrast to what was panning out a few metres away at the other end of the practice courts.

Slumped on a chair,Nehwal buried her face in a towel and broke down. For a while she seemed inconsolable and coach Uday Bhaskar Babu,one who has spent many hours plotting tactics for the star at the Gachibowli courts in Hyderabad,looked towards the group of media persons standing at the mixed zone,perhaps wondering how to explain the loss in a scenario where Saina took too long to regain her composure.

A Badminton World Federation official wondered aloud as to who would buy tickets now that the competitions top draw had crashed out. The sponsor hoarding at the event has images of World No.1 Lee Chong Wei and No.2 Taufik Hidayat along with Saina preparing for a smash. The two mens top seeds advanced,but with Goto spoiling the script,the first Super Series in the country faces the possibility of a lukewarm response during its business end.

The 17-21 19-21 loss Saina suffered hurt her. So great was the disappointment that the multiple Super Series winner took close to 15 minutes to hold her emotions together. All the while as coach Babu tried to console her Saina looked forlorn. It wasnt the way she planned to finish this signature tournament. But then Goto had surprised her.

Saina held a 3-0 record against Goto before Wednesday. The Indians first real test was supposed to be another Japanese,Eriko Hirose,who beat her at the All England Championships.

Taken by surprise

In the first game Saina caught up with Goto at 10-10 but couldnt keep up after that. In the second,she went ahead from 10-all to take a 13-10 lead,before pushing it to 19-16. Goto rallied back to make it 19-all. The Japanese took advantage of Sainas stifled movement by using sharp cross court angles and drop shots.

I wasnt prepared for the match,was a little tense today. I wasnt really prepared for her strokes and not moving well caused lots of errors. She was playing a lot of effective flick shot. She was hitting hard as well. Sometimes you dont know what to do. I just went blank, Saina said. The sore right ankle for which she had to take medicines in the run-up to this event,she said wasnt an issue.

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Her disappointment was visible when she spoke. In the background,behind the sponsor wall,Goto cooled down,all the while smiling away rather happy with the attention she had just received.