Saina Nehwal to be seen in action at BWF World C'ship to Play for QF Spot

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• Aug 25, 2022 | Poonam Nath

In the absence of Sindhu, the responsibility is on Nehwal to compete for a QF spot in women's singles.

Digital Desk: Saina Nehwal, a veteran shuttler, will compete today at the BWF (Badminton World Federation) World Championships to secure a spot in the tournament's quarterfinals.

On Tuesday, Nehwal defeated Hong Kong's Cheung Ngan Yi in straight sets to begin her BWF World Championships campaign.

The London Olympic bronze medalist advanced to the round of 16 after her second-round opponent, Nozomi Okuhara, withdrew from the tournament due to an injury, bidding adieu to her Indian opponent.

The 32-year-old will compete for the final eight spot against B. Ongbamrungphan of Thailand, hoping to repeat her success from previous editions.

Before arriving at the tournament, the ace shuttler had been in and out of action for some time. She didn't feel any extra pressure coming into this tournament because she hadn't gotten enough game time in recently. So far in the tournament, this has worked wonders for her.

During the tournament, she displayed flashes of her former self when she was at the pinnacle of her career. She has prior experience of performing in large tournaments, having won two medals in the previous edition. As a result, dismissing her is a mistake her opponents would not make.

Saina is India's only medal contender in women's singles after PV Sindhu withdrew due to a stress fracture in her left ankle. On August 22, she issued a statement about it.

Earlier, MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila of the men's doubles team stormed into the next round of the tournament. After losing the first set, the Indian duo came back to win the match 18-21, 21-15, and 21-16 on court one.

The round of 16 matchups will feature Lakshya Sen playing against fellow countrymen, Prannoy HS.