Saina Nehwal Facing BWF Super Series Finals Exit

Saina Nehwal, who became the first Indian woman to claim the world number one spot earlier in the year, looks certain to end her 2015 with an early departure from the BWF Super Series Finals in Dubai. (Carolina Marin Beats Saina Nehwal to Win Female Player of the Year Award)

Nehwal's 21-14, 21-6 loss to Nozomi Okuhara, the lively world number nine from Japan, was ominous enough, but her explanation for the one-sidedness of the loss made it seem as if her season is all but over. (Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth Lose in Superseries Finals Opener)

Nehwal admitted she has not been able to train since injuring an achilles tendon three weeks ago, and her movement was just not light enough or enduring enough against Okuhara who, as she said, "gets everything back".

Worse still Nehwal is in a group containing the favourite, Carolina Marin of Spain, and the titleholder Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan.

Both of them look in decent shape, and both of them she would probably have to beat to be able to qualify for the semi-finals.

"I'm not putting myself under any pressure to win these," she said.

"It's going to be very, very, very tough."

Earlier, Marin had to come from behind in the first game before starting impressively with a 21-16, 21-9 win over Tai Tzu Ying, and looks quite capable of adding the tour's flagship title to the world, All-England and four other Super Series titles she has won this year.

The acceleration towards victory she attributed partly to getting the shuttles replaced early on.

"They were too slow," Marin explained. "I had to get the speed changed and that made a difference."