Open and shut case for Saina

It was a rough draw in the form of the seasoned world No 4 Hongyan Pi at the All England - the one tournament Saina Nehwal...

It was a rough draw in the form of the seasoned world No 4 Hongyan Pi at the All England the one tournament Saina Nehwal had set her sights on at the height of her 2008 success. The computerised picking of lots,along with her tentative hitting shoulder,ensured that the Indian shuttlers return to action was rather harrowing. Playing her experienced opponent in the first round,Nehwals stay at this edition of the tournament lasted the duration of a 34-minute 21-15,21-16 loss to her rival from France. Nehwals frustration was compounded by the fact that her nagging worry over the shoulder severely restricted her stroke-making.

She was playing really well,and I was a little tense about hurting the shoulder again,so my strokes never got going, the Indian world No 10 said after twice allowing Pi to surge ahead from level scores of 13-13 and 14-14 in her straight games loss.

Nehwal matched Pi at the net,keeping herself in contention for three-fourths of both games. But nervous about her overhead stroke-making throughout,the 18-year-old admitted to committing a string of unforced errors as Pi went for the kill and grabbed unassailable leads and wrapped up the match in just over 30 minutes.

The lesson learnt here is to be very careful with injuries in the future,and stay patient when playing against players who are so experienced and in good form, she added. Nehwal had gone into the match with just a week of on-court hitting,owing to the injured shoulder. Two weeks short of turning 19,Nehwal stressed that shed have to take these losses and stiff draws in her stride as she climbs the steeply-rising steps up from No 10.

Playing Maria Kristin Yulianti in her opener at the next meet the Swiss Open Nehwal said that itll be as good as a grudge match for her as the Indonesian had ended her medal chances at the Olympics. The Beijing quarter-final match is still a nightmare,but this is a fresh match and I want to play well, she said.

There was further disappointment for the Indians at the National Indoor arena on Wednesday,when the womens doubles pair of Jwala Gutta-Shruti Kurien went down fighting 9-21,21-19,18-21 to Chiou Hwee Haw and Pek Siah Lim of Malaysia. Indias top bet in mens section Chetan Anand was felled 6-21,21-17,21-12 by Englishman Andrew Smith,while Anand Pawar,after his strenuous efforts in qualifying on Tuesday,went down 22-20,21-15 to fifth seed Sony Dwi Kuncoro.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More