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Saina Nehwal has been in the spotlight for most of this year. With her results seemingly hitting a ceilingtowards the fag end of 2014, Saina’s decision of switching coaches and changing her training base raised eyebrows. Shouldering the burden of expectations of a billion people and some of her own, Saina had a point to prove not only to her nation but also to herself in 2015.From contemplating quitting the sport altogether in 2014 to scripting a tremendous success story in 2015, Saina’s turnaround has been peppered with several poignant moments. She won her maiden India Open Super Series title to propel herself to the top of the world rankings in March, creating history in the process - she is the first Indian woman to do so. However, her losses in the Finals of the All England Championships and the World Championships presented her with new challenges to work on for the rest of the year. Following a semifinal appearance in April this year at the Malaysia Super Series, Saina experienced a drought of titles till the end of the year. Though she seems poised to end the year on a high note, as indicated by yet another great run at the China Open Super Series Premiere Event earlier this month, Saina will have to put on her thinking cap at the BWF World Superseries Finals which is going on in Dubai right now. As she plays in the last event of the year, the Indian will have her own 'Saina Squad' to cheer her on, which could be a huge fillip to her chances! But Saina, who currently stands 6th in the World Super Series Rankings, will have to find answers to a few unsolved conundrums that left her in the lurch on more than one occasion this season.
#1 The toughest challenge: Beating Carolina Marin
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Carolina Marin has easily been the most formidable player in 2015. Currently ranked World No. 1, the Spaniard has shown unbelievable mental tenacity and supreme tactical awareness to win five Super Series titles this season, a record that has been matched by only three players in the history of badminton.
Saina had a bit of a meltdown against Marin in the final of the All England Championships, and she was outplayed by her worthy Spanish opponent yet again in the final of the World Championships at Jakarta.
Though Saina holds the edge over Marin in their head to head at 3-2, the Spaniard has shown a consistency so commendable that it barely seems believable.
In the run up to the Japan Open Super Series Saina said, "I tried my best to tackle her (Marin) but over-enthusiasm played over me and I lost the last two battles to her. Carolina is a tough opponent, but can be beaten. I beat her thrice before the All England tournament and lost twice to her. She is a left-handed player and these are bestowed with better wrist work, she is one like that.”
Marin, who idolizes 14-time tennis Grand Slam Champion Rafael Nadal, did show chinks in her mental armour when she failed to convert six match points against Nozomi Okuhara in the Hong Kong Super Series final. That said, she regrouped just in time to seal the title win on her seventh match point.
It will be interesting to see what game plan Saina has in place to counter Marin at Dubai. But one thing is certain: considering the format of the tournament and the fact that only the best of the best compete in this event, Saina's chances of winning the title will hinge largely on whether she's able to counter the Marin threat.
#2 Fending off the formidable Chinese trio: not a task for the faint-hearted
Wang Shixian, Wang Yihan and Li Xuerui are ranked second, third and fourth respectively behind Marin in the World Super Series Rankings. And disturbingly for Saina, she trails against all the three Chinese women in the respective head-to-head records. She trails 6-7 against Wang Shixian, 4-9 against Wang
Yihan and 2-9 against the reigning Olympic champion Li Xuerui.In recent times Saina has emerged victorious against Wang Shixian and Wang Yihan. However, she fell short against Li Xuerui in the final of the China Super Series Premiere Event, a title that Saina won in 2014 by tearing apart the Chinese contingent.
While Marin remains Saina's biggest hurdle in Dubai, the Indian's ability to fend off the Chinese powerhouses will be immensely important to her title chances too.
#3 The big F-question: Fitness and its far-reaching effects
Having played at an incredibly high level throughout the season, a lot of top players are spent by the end of it. The pink K-tapes are a common add-on to Saina’s kit these days. These tapes, prominently visible on her right leg at the China Open, indicate that her rigorous training is taking a toll on her body.
Saina is known to have an eight-hour training regimen each day and is one of the most hard-working players on tour. But after a grueling season where she went deep in most tournaments and played a LOT of matches, Saina's ability to remain fresh and energetic for the last tournament of the year could play a huge role.
#4 Can Saina do it?
A dribble in the game of badminton is the trickiest shot to counter. The three dribbles in the form of Carolina Marin, the Chinese trio of Shixian, Yihan and Xuerui as well as Saina's own fitness would be the keys to the Indian's chances at the BWF World Superseries Finals Dubai.
Working with coach Vimal Kumar, Saina has explored new technical and mental aspects of her game in 2015. The biggest change that Vimal brought about in Saina was making her the custodian of her own destiny. Whether it was her training regimen or formulating a strategy for the big matches, he emphasized on Saina having her own plan from the very first day of their partnership.
While Vimal’s fresh perspective has worked wonders for Saina, her chances of winning in Dubai look a bit dodgy. The unstoppable Marin has looked hungrier and mentally stronger with every passing day this year, and she also has a great head-to-head record against the formidable Chinese trio.
With an impressive win-loss of 35-5 for the year, the 22-year-old Spaniard is half a step quicker than the rest of the field. And even if Saina overcomes the other two hurdles, overcoming Marin would be a different ball game together.
Saina will need to harness a lot of skill and will to turn the tide in her favour and win her first BWF World Superseries Finals at Dubai. And while that looks rather difficult at the moment, it certainly isn't impossible.
