Saina Nehwal: "I have to work very, very hard"

Saina Nehwal with the Indonesia Open gold medal

Saina Nehwal returned to India on Tuesday morning having just achieved one of the most memorable title wins in her career. The Indonesia Open victory, following the Swiss Open title in March, overturned her lean season late last year, and puts her in he perfect frame of mind as she seeks an Olympic medal. At a press conference in Hyderabad, Saina talks about her memorable campaign and what this means in the long run:

Winning the Indonesia Open:

It’s a great boost for me before the Olympics that I won two titles, and I beat good players. Winning the Indonesia Open for the third time gives me confidence for the next five weeks of training. It will help youngsters in India who saw the matches, and it will give them confidence. Badminton can become one of the biggest sports in India.

What this means for Olympics preparation:

I really needed to win such big matches before the Olympics. Everyone is preparing hard. I was dead on court after the quarterfinal, but still I managed to do well. I’m happy I pulled off tough matches, because it will be tough in the Olympics.

We will plan a special programme for the Olympics. It will be a tough four-five weeks. I’ve got to be injury-free. Confidence is not an issue. It’s important to win tournaments. If I’m in great shape and in rhythm, I will be No.1, so I don’t care about rankings.

We wanted to try many things during these two tournaments, we tried to experiment. I had to work on many aspects of my game. Diet plays a big part. It’s important to be in good shape for the Olympics because the courts will be slow.

The long quarterfinal:

The quarterfinal was the final for me. It was very very long. We were fighting it out and it was very close. I was lucky to pull off the last two points. I’m happy with my recovery. I played matches at 11 and 12 at night, and the final was in the afternoon.

The quarterfinal against Shixian was one hour and 37 minutes. It was one of the longest matches. It was a great match and I enjoyed it. I fought for every point. After the matches, I thank God that I have such good stamina, and that I was ready for the semifinal. I’m amazed that I won my semifinal in straight games.

The competition in women’s singles:

All the players are tough. Against Wang Shixian it was 21-19 in the third game, against Li Xuerui too in the final it was 21-19. She is in the best form; I’m the only one who has beaten her (in recent times). I lost to Xuerui many times. Whoever plays well on a particular day will win. She hasn’t lost since January. Whoever comes, I’m doing well against them. I haven’t played Wang Yihan in the last six months.

Winning in Indonesia:

I feel like a champion when I enter Indonesian courts. The first day there were 7,000 spectators cheering for me. They were cheering for me even though I was playing an Indonesian player (in the second round). I love Jakarta, the courts there are lucky for me.

The Thailand Open win:

I was tense just before the Thailand Open, because I hadn’t done well in the India Open. I played a long match in the first round. The final was a good win because it was against Ratchanok, who is an upcoming player.

I was down in many matches, but I pulled them out. I never gave up. I was always thinking of winning the match even though I was match point down in the Indonesia Open final.

The Chinese:

The Chinese are tough; it’s not easy to beat them. I have to work very very hard. There will be three Chinese at the Olympics. When we’re on court, it’s just that we have to win. They’re the best players in the world – they fight for every point. That’s good to see. All Asian players are improving. I don’t want to take any pressure before the Olympics.