Saina Nehwal Looks to Relive 2010 Singapore Open Title Moments
Saina Nehwal won the women's singles title at the Singapore Open in 2010. Since then she played in the city-state only thrice in five years with a best finish of quarterfinals in 2013.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: April 11, 2016 06:35 pm IST
Highlights
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Saina last won the Singapore Open in 2010
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Saina reached the semis of Malaysia Open last week
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Singapore Open is a Super Series tournament
Six summers ago, Saina Nehwal had stood at the podium in Singapore with the gold medal dangling around her neck and the Indian ace will hope to relive those moments by clinching the title once again when the Singapore Open Super Series begins on Tuesday. (Saina Nehwal Suffers Semi-Final Heartbreak Again, Bows Out of Malaysia Super Series)
Saina has played only three times in the last five editions at the Singapore Indoor Stadium but she could not go beyond the quarterfinals. The Indian will look to cross that mark this time around when she starts her campaign against American Beiwen Zhang on Wednesday. (Defending Champion Saina Nehwal Loses Semifinal to Li Xuerui)
World No.8 Saina, who had to go through a nagging injury since late last year, has reached the semifinals in the last three tournaments -- Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold, India Open Super Series and Malaysia Open Super Series Premier.
The tournament will start with the qualifiers on Tuesday while the main draw will commence only a day after when besides Saina, PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, Ajay Jayaram and Kidambi Srikanth will take the court with an eye on world rankings.
Two-time bronze medallist at World Championships, Sindhu, who reached the quarterfinals in the last two events at India and Malaysia, will open her campaign against Thailand's Busanan Ongbumrungphan.
The 20-year-old from Hyderabad has beaten Busanan six times in the past, including a three-game victory recently in the second round of the India Open.
In men's singles, Swiss Open champion Prannoy, who is looking to seal an Olympic berth ahead of the May 3 deadline, will have a towering task of getting across World No.1 and top seed Chen Long of China in the opening round.
The World No.22 Indian had lost to the two-time All England and World Champion, Long in straight games during the 2014 India Open.
World No.24 Ajay Jayaram, who is also in fray for an Olympic berth, will face Marc Zwiebler, a couple of weeks after the German ended his India Open campaign in the opening round.
World No.14 Srikanth, who was ousted in the first round in the last two events, will square off against Chinese Taipei's Hsu Jen Hao. The Indian has beaten him twice in the last two years at 2014 Denmark Open and 2015 World Championship.
In men's doubles, newly-crowned national champion duo of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar will face China's Liu Cheng and Lu Kai. World No. 15 combo of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will meet Korean Go Ah Ra and Yoo Hae Won in the opening round of the women's doubles competition.