Saina squanders match point,surrenders Indonesia crown

Down 6-9 in the decider,Wang rallied back to win six points in a row. Saina had a chance to get back into the contest when Wang made three unforced errors,but the subsequent smashes were far too venomous for the Indian as Wang ran away with game and the match.

“It would have been great to win the tournament to cap off a disappointing tour. But it was an even contest for most of the match and Saina matched up well to the Chinese. We can take heart from that,” said Pullela Gopichand,Saina’s coach.

Saina started the match positively,positioning herself well and forcing her opponent to all four corners of the court with superior net-play. “She was calm,focused and relaxed,” according to Gopichand. While the Chinese was in control for most of the second game and was even leading 19-16 at one stage,Saina fought back well to win four straight points and earn herself a match point. She,however,squandered the golden opportunity.

“Against the Chinese it is very important to make the most of every opportunity you get to win the match. Saina didn’t do that today and she lost out,” said Gopichand.

Saina had lost her only previous match against the World No. 3 in the 2010 Uber Cup quarter-finals in a similar fashion.

“Saina was tired from the previous encounters and was banking on an early victory today. She was unfortunate to lose out on a run of points in the final game and by the time she came back it was a little too late. She did show that she is more than capable of beating the Chinese. She just needs to focus some more,” Gopichand said.

The statistics show that Wang had 19 smashes against Saina’s 15 — 9-2 in the third game itself. “Saina did struggle against the smashes today, but she just needs to focus more on her defensive play,” Gopichand said.