On eve of London world championships, India's Saina Nehwal says she has overcome ankle injury and is raring to go
On eve of London world championships, India's Saina Nehwal says she has overcome ankle injury and is raring to go
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Saina Nehwal will carry India's hopes at the World Badminton Championships that begin at Wembley Indoor Arena heretoday.
Saina, seeded sixth, has battled a niggling ankle injury for most part of the season. But after a month-long break, she is fit and raring to go.
Saina Nehwal
She can draw strength from the fact that despite not being at her best, she managed to hang on to the top rung. She won the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold and finished runner-up in the Malaysian Open and Indonesia Open Super Series Premier. There was also talk of her parting with coach Pullela Gopichand who has steered her international career, but she is back working with the former All England champion.
The 21-year-old will be making her fifth appearance in the Worlds. In 2009 at Hyderabad, she made it to the quarter-final despite being down with chicken pox a few days before the championship. She exited from the same stage in Paris last year, losing to China's Wang Shixian, who is the top-seed in London.
Saina has got a bye in the first round and will play the winner of the match between Indonesian Adrianti Firdasari and Chloe Magee of Ireland.
"I'm fit and raring to go. I have worked hard on a few areas of my game which needed improvement. I'm happy with my training," said Saina.
"The draw is not very tough but it is also not easy. I have beaten them before, but it is World Championships and everyone will give their best. I too have to be at my best to beat them," Saina said.
In the men's singles, Parupalli Kashyap, ranked 28, will have an easy opening round against German Dieter Domke. In mixed doubles, Jwala Gutta and V Diju have been seeded 16th and they have a bye in the first round.
The women's doubles pair of Gutta and Aswhini Ponappa will face American Eva Lee and Paula Lynn Obanana in the first round.
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