Indonesia Masters: Saina Nehwal beats Ratchanok Intanon to set up final against Tai Tzu Ying

Saina Nehwal has struck some fine form this week at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta. Like a surfer rides a perfect barrel, she’s tunnelled through a peeling draw at the Indonesia Masters Super 500 to emerge at the finals, where she’s up against the old nemesis – the 22-year-old from Chinese Taipei. Tai Tzu, a prolific shuttler who’s been World No.1 for over 50 weeks, and whose reputation for tricky deception precedes her, has proved to be a thorn for the world’s best shuttlers, but for Saina she’s been a particularly incomplete jigsaw that leaves wide gaping amoebic gaps and mocks like only unfinished puzzles, can.

On Saturday, just when Wozniacki had started to show her gutsy form across the Arafura & Timor seas, Saina Nehwal was slaying someone who is as talented or more than Tai Tzu – minus the Taiwanese’ consistency though. Ratchanok Intanon is almost a harbinger of a Saina title, with the Indian having beaten the Thai on the cusp of turnarounds in her career. It’s when Saina is moving well, has a power spring to her step, sends the straight smash like a whip and looks sharp on the net dribbles that she tends to beat Ratchanok (she went 9-5 up after Saturday). Against Tai Tzu, Saina trails 5-8, but has lost the last 6 times. In the semis, wearing her bubblegum pink, Saina would twice stare at 18-18 scores before imposing her class on the game to win 21-19, 21-19.

Saina’s always maxed her shoulder power against the Thai, but it was in her retrieves that she would set up her winners with precise shuttle control. Her lifts to the back as well as the tight spinning dribbles in the front were played with authority, and she looked in good physical shape to last the rigour even when Ratchanok countered.

She was cruising at 9-2 in the second, and even in the 28-shot rally at 5-1 where she went from dictating the points to desperately defending, the World No.12 was turning back the clock, looking like she belonged in the big league of which she’s only been on the fringes since her surgery.

Ratchanok would dip into Saina’s frustration to level from 14-8 to 18-18 when the Indian couldn’t wrap it up. But 20-19 saw a long rally – where Ratchanok would get back every shuttle generously peppering her slice drops, before Saina finished with a power-packed low pick up.

Tai Tzu – who played the finals last week but was denied in Malaysia – is a tougher proposition with a game full of disguised deceptions. “If Saina can prolong the rallies and keep the shuttle in play, that gives her a chance to counter,” says former coach Vimal Kumar, who reckons that Saina is both moving well this week and is in good fettle physically to take on Tai Tzu.

“She should not give Tai Tzu too much confidence early on as she likes to delay her shots. Saina shouldn’t get upset with that delaying pace,” he adds.

Tai Tzu has at her disposal some outrageous shots that she pulls out of the hat at will, and can pretty much neutralise any opponent’s game if given that leeway.

Still, Indonesia – where Saina makes her 6th career final (she’s won two SS, made two SS finals and a Worlds summit clash) — offers some hope. The drift in that intimate stadium — refurbished and reverberating like only Indonesia can — is good news for Saina. Not only does the Indian adjust better to these conditions (her experience counts for much), but Tai Tzu can be bothered if she’s starved of the time to play (and delay) her lyrical strokes.

“Usually talented stroke makers get frustrated when the shuttle keeps coming back, and start trying their special strokes. Tai Tzu tends to give away points in a bunch. So if Saina can stay close in scores, she can put pressure on Tai,” Vimal Kumar, says. “Saina rates Tai Tzu as high as Xuerui or Yihan, but she would be in good spirits after her results of this week, and a confident Saina is tough to put down,” he adds.

It’s from the faster side that Saina will need to ambush Tai Tzu, and deny her time to play her strokes. There’s master strategist Gopichand in her corner, and the reunited duo can take a shy at making sense of the Tai Tzu scramble. Saina would be on the court same time as her tennis hero Roger Federer. It’s a cue to never rule out turnarounds that once seemed improbable.