The Hindu : Sport / Badminton : Stage set for Saina to finish on a high

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Tuesday, Dec 14, 2010
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Stage set for Saina to finish on a high

V.V. Subrahmanyam

HYDERABAD: Saina Nehwal's moment of glory in the Hong Kong Open could not have been timed better with the Indian Open Grand Prix championship getting underway at Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy Indoor Stadium here on Tuesday.

For, this $50,000 prize money event should separate the pretenders from the performers from India, even while throwing a fair hint where they exactly stand in their attempt to make optimum use of the big platform.

Depleted field

The event is left with a depleted field as none of the familiar names, in both men's and women's sections, from the Asian countries would be in action here. It is more or less an ‘India Open' with the challenge confined to the familiar names in the domestic circuit.

Given this scenario, the 20-year-old Saina can have it easy and finish off the year on a high. That she will be in action within 24 hours after arrival from Hong Kong is also an indication of her seriousness about the tournament.

This may not be good news for her challengers, which include the 21-year-old second-seeded Maria Febe Kusumastuti (2010 Indonesian Open semifinalist), third-seeded Adrianti Firdasari, both from Indonesia, and India's Aditi Mutatkar and Trupti Murgunde.

“I am coming here to win and will treat it like any other big event. No better way than to finish off the year with another title triumph,” said Saina.

“Every event has to be different and will be treated with all seriousness it deserves. Winning a title in front of your home crowd gives that extra special feeling,” she said to a query.

The men's singles competition features the 22-year-old Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka of Indonesia (2010 Indonesian Open Grand Prix finalist) as the top-seed. India's Chetan Anand, making a comeback after an injury forced him to skip the Asian Games, is seeded second.

Five Indians — Chetan Anand, Parupalli Kashyap, Ajay Jayram, Arvind Bhat and R.M.V. Guru Sai Dutt — figure in the top eight seeds in men's section.

No Gutta-Diju pair

“India's best mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V. Diju will not be in action as the former has preferred to take a break,” said chief National coach Pullela Gopi Chand. “Ashwini Ponappa will combine with Tarun Kona in this category here,” he added.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy will inaugurate the event.

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