Saina confident of getting to No.1

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Saina Nehwal is a champion on and off the court. A never-ending line of autograph-seekers and photograph-hunters mobbed the 20-year-old after her practice session on Tuesday, but the humble champion obliged patiently. Following that session, Saina touched base on various aspects to this newspaper.

Excerpts
On the Indian Open: When you are the top seed, the pressure is obviously there to do well. Hopefully, I will be able to pull it off.
On the facilities in Chennai: I can see a lot of hard work having gone into the preparation for this event. Though it can’t be matched with the kind of facilities we have in the Super Series, the association here has done a decent job.
On her practice routines: I work hard everyday to maintain my fitness. I am an early riser and spend nearly five hours on the court. I slug it out during training sessions.
On injuries: In sports, injuries are only natural. I have had my share too. Right now, I feel good and want to hit top form without wasting time.
On reaching a career-best ranking this year and the No. 1 goal: Ranking is not my top priority. I can beat anyone in the top-5. But yes, it would be nice to reach the No.1 spot one day. I am confident of being there at some point of time. Maybe, in two or three year’s time.
On the current bunch of Indian youngsters: There is a lot of talent out there. Players like Sayali Gokhale, P.C. Thulasi, Sai Praneet and H.S. Prannoy are doing extremely well. After my Olympics quarterfinals and Super Series showing, there have been a lot of youngsters coming into the sport. They believe, if Saina can do it, we can do it too. And I feel it’s a good thing.
On the Chinese badminton factory: They have nearly 200 youngsters who can compete with the best. And a handful of them will go on to become world beaters. Their coaching methods are also different and efficient. Players there are expected to give nothing but undivided attention to the sport.