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Indian badminton queen Saina Nehwal will begin her hunt for her third India Open title on Wednesday against the unheralded Tereza Svabikova of the Czech Republic.
While Nehwal is ranked 25th, the little-known Svabikova is placed 117 spots below the Indian in the BWF world rankings.
The former World No. 1 couldn't have asked for an easier opener in her first tournament of the year. Nehwal didn't have a season to remember last year, with a semifinal finish at the Orleans Masters being her only noteworthy result.
In five of her seven tournaments, the 31-year-old slumped to a first-round exit.
Nehwal's fitness issues reared their ugly head last season, preventing her from making her presence felt on the tour. It remains to be seen if she has regained her full fitness at the start of the new season.
Playing the inexperienced Svabikova in her India Open first round could bolster Nehwal's confidence level.
The 21-year-old had a stellar junior career and was even named the best Czech junior shuttler of the years 2016 and 2017.
However, the youngster's transition to the senior circuit has been slow and she is yet to make any significant impact on the tour. The Dutch Open, an International Challenge tournament, was the only event in which she made her mark last year, reaching the quarterfinals.
Other than that, Svabikova lost her opening singles match of the tournament 12 times in 2021.
Clearly, there's a wide gulf in the experience levels of Saina Nehwal and Tereza Svabikova and the former wouldn't hesitate to capitalize on that.
India Open 2022: Match details
Fixture: (4) Saina Nehwal vs Tereza Svabikova
Head-to-head: Saina Nehwal and Tereza Svabikova have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head is currently tied at 0-0.
Date: January 12, 2021.
Time: Approx 10:40 am IST.
Tournament: Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022.
Round: First round.
Venue: New Delhi, India.
Category: HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500.
When and where to watch Saina Nehwal vs Tereza Svabikova
The first-round India Open clash between Saina Nehwal and Tereza Svabikova won't be telecast anywhere.
However, the match can be followed on the BWF website and Tournament Software, both of which will provide live updates.
In addition, the social media accounts of BWF and the Badminton Association of India will provide regular updates of the match.
Due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation, the India Open is being held behind closed doors this time, with no fans or media allowed inside the Indira Gandhi Stadium.
