Saina can dominate world badminton now: Pawar

MUMBAI: The victory of India's top woman shuttler Saina Nehwal in the Super Series tournament in Indonesia was, on Sunday, hailed by former national men's doubles champion Uday Pawar who now expected her to dominate the game.
"I saw the match on television and she showed absolutely no signs of nerves. To beat two Chinese women successively is a big achievement.Her consistent entry into the semi-finals of different tournaments with the other slots filled up by the Chinese reminds me of the heydays of Prakash (Padukone)," Pawar said.
World number eight Saina defeated world number three Lin Wang of China in Jakarta 12-21, 21-18, 21-9 to clinch her maiden Super Series title in an edge-of-the-seat thriller that lasted 49 minutes.
Saina had beaten another Chinese player Lan Lu in three games in the semi-final.
Pawar felt that the Hyderabadi ace is easily the best-ever woman shuttler produced by India because of her consistency at the international levels, a view echoed by another top yesteryear doubles player Pradeep Gandhe who is now the chairman of the national coaching committee.
"She is by far the best woman player we have produced because she is consistently reaching the semi-finals and quarter-finals of major tournaments. She was so ruthless in the last game, amazing," Pawar said.
Gandhe, who is also the vice-president of the Badminton Association of India and a member of the national selection committee, agreed and said that while Indian women in the past have won invitation internationals but none have won Super Series level events.
"At the age of 19 she has achieved so much. She would have won a medal at the last Beijing Olympics but for lack of experience," Gandhe said about Saina's loss in the quarterfinals in the quadrennial extravaganza last year.
"Her win in Indonesia is absolutely incredible," he said. Pawar felt Saina's brilliant display at her young age bodes well for the immediate future as she's likely to dominate world badminton for the next five years.
"It's especially good ahead of the August World Championship in Hyderabad," he said.
Gandhe pointed out the fact that to beat a top player so easily in a deciding game was a clear pointer to Saina's superior fitness and self-confidence.
"I have never witnessed the Chinese being thrashed in a deciding game like Saina did today to her rival. In fact it was the Chinese player who bid for time and looked tired," Gandhe said, adding that there was a clear game plan after her previous loss to the same player at last week's Singapore event.
QnA: Can Saina become a more popular face than Sania Mirza?