Sainas 39-minute loss in semis has Gopichand concerned

Saina Nehwals shock semifinal loss to world number 8 Juliane Schenk of Germany on Saturday has coach Gopichand worrying over her poor form this year.

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Saina Nehwals shock semifinal loss to world number 8 Juliane Schenk of Germany on Saturday has coach Gopichand worrying over her poor form this year. The 21-19,21-10 loss in just 39 minutes at the Japan Open Super Series came at the hands of a player who she had defeated in their last four meetings.

She cant keep losing matches like this. She will have to get back to her winning ways soon, said Gopichand. Saina started the first game slowly going down 4-7 early on. She came back into it,however,with a few good smashes and levelled things at 14-14. She held on till 19-19 but failed to hold her nerve in the end and lost the first game 19-21.

Saina started the second game well and kept things level at 8-8. Some good aggressive play from her German opponent saw her trailing 11-8 at the break. At 14-10,however,she had the wind knocked out of her. Schenk won seven straight points to wrap up the second set and the match.

It was yet another defeat in what has been a woeful year by Sainas standards where she has won just one title the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold in March. This stands in great contrast to her 2010 season when she won three Super Series titles,one Grand Prix gold title along with the Commonwealth Games gold medal.

No major issue

She has been slightly off-colour this year,especially compared to her form last year. But she has it in her to get back to her full form, says Gopichand. There is no major issue. She did struggle with her fitness early in the year but she has worked hard on it and is getting back to her best, says Gopichand.

While the Olympics are right around the corner,they are not currently a major worry for him. Instead he says he wants to focus on the run up period to the quadrennial event.

Right now the Olympics is still far away,but the period close to two to three months before the mega event will be very crucial. We will want her to strike a good run of form there so that she peaks at the Olympics, he says.

Vettel on pole for winning title

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Sebastian Vettel moved a step closer to clinching his second successive Formula One title in Singapore after securing Red Bulls 14th pole position in as many races this season. Vettel,who could be only a day away from becoming the sports youngest double world champion if results go his way,lapped the floodlit Marina Bay Circuit in one minute 44.381 seconds to edge out teammate Mark Webber by 0.351. McLarens Jenson Button was third fastest in Saturdays qualifying with a time of 1:44.804.

The pole position was Red Bulls 15th in a row stretching back to the final race of last season.

McLarens Lewis Hamilton will start fourth on the grid after an evening deflated by a puncture in the second qualifying session. A refuelling problem then meant he was unable to do more than one quick lap in the last session.

The Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will fill the third row of the grid,ahead of the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher.

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Vettel,24,has a 112 point advantage in the championship and will take the title on Sunday with five races remaining if he can extend that lead by a further 13 points. Alonso is currently second overall,with Webber and Button both 117 points adrift of Vettel.