Reality check for Saina

While it doesn8217;t take the shine off last week8217;s thrilling victory, the defeat would no doubt have come as a shock, given that Saina had beaten the world no. four, world no. 31 and the world no. 66 on her dream run in the four-star meet last week.

The 17-21, 21-23 loss to local girl Yuan Kartika only underlined her lack of sufficient international exposure.

For someone who began her international stint at the 2004 Uber Cup, the Indonesian Open was just her eighth meet on the senior circuit, let alone the international circuit. While the Philippines Open triumph was nothing short of miraculous, this defeat can well be attributed to the fatigue of having to play back-to-back tournaments.

Saina was not expected to win the Philippines Open and when she did, she was left with just a few hours before she made the trip to Indonesia to play the qualifiers. Although she got a walkover against Fiona McKee of Canada in the first round, her efforts at the Philippines Open took a physical and mental toll on her, giving the 16-year-old hardly any breathing space to recover.

Saina8217;s coach Pullela Gopichand, who will formally be named as the chief national coach tomorrow, said that Saina will have to learn how to perform consistently in back-to-back tournaments, as well as how to travel and maintain focus while playing tournaments at this level.

8220;Her opponents are getting to know her game and her mistakes will be punished at this level,8221; he said.