Saina creates history, grabs World No.1 slot

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 28

London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman shuttler to reach the World No. 1 ranking on Saturday.

She reached the milestone by defeating her semifinal opponent, unseeded Yui Hashimoto, from Japan 21-15 21-11 at the Indian Open Super Series badminton tournament.

Legendary men's singles player Prakash Padukone had the distinction of scaling the No.1 summit during his playing days, but Saina became the first Indian woman to achieve this feat owing to her stupendous performances over the past five months which saw her win the China Open Super Series Premier in November, Syed Modi Grand Prix in January and reach the All-England Championships final early this month.

Though the official rankings will be out only on Thursday, the 25-year-old Indian has been assured of her top spot after her closest challenger for the spot, Spain's Carolina Marin, lost her semifinal match to Thailand's Ratchanok Itanton at the India Open.

The Hyderabad shuttler will take over the top spot in the ranking from London Olympics gold medallist and former World Champion, China's Li Xuerei.

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Saina on her achievement and wished her all the best for Sunday's India Open final.