Pain-killers, taped feet and other such short-term fixes were what Saina Nehwal had been dependent on during tournaments after the World Championships last August.
A string of injuries — achilles tendon followed by shin and lower abdomen injuries — had pegged her down physically and mentally over the last few months. She was even forced to play events, including the Superseries Finals in December and the Premier Badminton League in January, without match practice before being forced out of action early this year.
But thanks to a core strengthening and conditioning programme (including electric shock therapy) with a new trainer in February, the top-ranked shuttler is back in action, and raring to go, but admits she “needs some on-court match practice” to attain her peak.
This week, the world no. 6 is looking to defend her title at the India Open Super Series, the event which saw her reaching the top of the world rankings in 2015.
“It was a tough three-four months. It was a serious injury (achilles tendon at the Worlds), but I came out of it and am recovering well. It just that it takes some time for match fitness to come back. That’s what happened at the All England. I was playing with tension (in the nets) that the injury might return,” Saina said here on Tuesday.
“I am fit and can move freely on court now, but I am lacking match practice. It’s not about how fit I am, it will all come up to how I play on court,” added the star shuttler.
Coach U. Vimal Kumar feels Saina is currently at her “fittest” since the Worlds. “After a long time, she played without much pain at the All England and Swiss Open. But she is under a lot of pressure as she needs to regain form. She is coping well but needs confidence in her movements and strokes. She needs improvement in the way she reacts to deceptive shots. As she plays more, she will gain it,” Vimal pointed out.
Vimal said May to July would be the time, Saina could focus on finetuning her weak areas. “Right now, she has to get a big win.”
Varma in main draw Sourabh Varma shocked higher ranked Kenichi Tago of Japan 21-18, 21-12 to reach the main draw of the $300,000 event on Tuesday.
Sourabh registered a 21-18, 21-10 win over compatriot R.M.V. Gurusaidutt in the men’s singles round 1, before defeating Tago to reach the Round of 32.
