Saina bags the Australian Open Super Series Badminton title
Saina Nehwal defeated World No. 12 Sun Yu of China to clinch the Australian Open Super Series Badminton title in Sydney. Saina scored 11-21, 21-14, 21-19 in a match that lasted over an hour. This was Saina's second Australian Open title, having previously won in 2014 and has smoothened her path for the Rio Olympics. This is Saina's maiden title of the season.
Australian Open Super Series
2016 Australian Super Series was scheduled to be held in Sydney, Australia from 7–12 June 2016. It has a total prize money of $750,000. Australian Open was upgraded to a Grand Prix Gold level event in 2011 and promoted to a Super Series level event in 2014. Chen Long and Carolina Marin were winners of the 2015 tournament in Men's and Women's Singles respectively.
Saina's last Australian Open title
Saina Nehwal had won the Australian Open title previously once in 2014 where she beat Spain's Carolina Marin in the final. No other Indians won titles so far at this tournament.
How did the other Indian players fare?
In Women's Singles, PV Sindhu suffered an upset defeat in the opening round, while Tanvi Lad exited in the second round. In Men's Singles, Gurusaidutt crashed out in first round and Sameer Verma, in a tough fight lost in the second round. Kidambi Srikanth had a good run registering straight-game wins until the semis where he lost 20-22, 13-21 to Hans-Kristian Vittinghu of Denmark.
Early exit in doubles event
The only Indian doubles pair at the tournament, Nikhar Garg and M Anilkumar Raju lost the men's doubles event in the first round to Malaysian eighth seeds V Shem Goh and Wee Kiong Tan 12-21 10-21.
Saina advances to the Australian badminton Open final
Saina Nehwal is just one win away from her maiden title of the season as she advanced to the finals of Australian Open Super Series. The ace shuttler beat World No. 2 Yihan Wang of China 21-8, 21-12 in the semifinals. In the final, Saina will face Sun Yu of China, who defeated third seed and compatriot Li Xuerui in the other semifinal.
Saina's road to final
On her way to reach the final of 2016 Australian Open Super Series, Saina Nehwal beat Australia's Joy Lai in the first round 21-10, 21-14; and Malaysia's Jin Wei Goh in the second 21-12, 21-14. In the quarter-finals, playing one of her toughest matches this year, Saina beat second seed Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon 28-26, 21-16. She eased through the semis beating Yihan Wang.
