Saina wins Chinese Taipei Open

Taipei, Sep 14 (PTI) Saina Nehwal capped her dream run in the Chinese Taipei Open on Sunday by clinching the title to become the first Indian woman shuttler with two Grand Prix crowns under her belt.

The second-seeded Indian, who won the Philippines Open Grand Prix in May 2006, beat unseeded Malaysian Li Ya Lydia Cheah 21-8, 21-19 in the final of the G.P. Gold event here on Sunday.

Saina, who reached the Olympic quarter-finals a couple of weeks back in Beijing, played to a plan and attacked her opponent from the word go.

The tactics paid off well for the world number 14 who
gave no chance to her Malaysian rival, a slow mover on the
court, to bridge the gap in the first game.

The second game, though, saw a determined Cheah fight
back but the Indian was up to the task and ran away with the
match after some anxious moments.

"I guess this is perhaps my best performance so far. Of
course, my show in Beijing Olympics gave me a lot of
confidence but I think I played here really well," Saina said.

Asked if she would rate Sunday's win higher than her 2006
Philippines Open triumph, Saina said, "Philippines Open was a
four-star event and this is five-star and it's unbelievable
that I won this title."

Looking ahead, Saina said she must keep the momentum
going.

"Next I play in Japan and China Open, both of which are
Super Series events and I have to continue the good work
there," said the 21-year-old Hyderabadi girl.

An elated Badminton Association of India President V.K.
Verma termed Saina's stunning victory a great achievement for
Indian shuttlers.

"I congratulate Saina for her outstanding victory. Her
career has been on the up now. She won the Philippines Open
Grand Prix in 2006, then she reached the quarter-finals in the
Olympics and now she has won a Grand Prix Gold event," he
said.

"It was a formidable victory winning the final in
straight sets and 21-8 in the first game was truly amazing."
PTI