AFP/New Delhi


India’s Saina Nehwal stormed into the women’s singles final at the India Open badminton tournament yesterday, defeating Japan’s Yui Hashimoto in front of a capacity home crowd in New Delhi.
Nehwal, currently ranked number two in the world, is virtually assured of the top spot when the updated rankings are announced next week, after Spain’s Carolina Marin, her nearest challenger and world number four, lost her semi-final match earlier in the day.
Marin lost a close, almost 90-minute match to Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon 21-19, 21-23 and 22-20.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among thousands of people on social media to congratulate Nehwal for her world
ranking.   
“The phenomenal accomplishments of @NSaina make us very proud. I congratulate her on being the world number 1,” Modi said on Twitter.
The 25-year-old will be the first woman shuttler from India to get the top world ranking.
Yesterday, Nehwal once again started the match with her trademark aggression and comfortably defeated her Japanese opponent 21-15, 21-11.
Nehwal, who has had a very good start to the year and even reached the final of the prestigious All England Championship earlier this month, is now the favourite to win the $250,000 Super Series tournament final on Sunday.
India’s Saina Nehwal will replace Olympic champion Li Xuerui as the women’s world number one badminton player, ending China’s stranglehold at the top of the rankings. China have long dominated the women’s game and the last non-Chinese to be world number one was Denmark’s Tine Baun in December 2010.
While Li, who won Olympic gold in London, has struggled with a foot injury, the other contender for the top ranking, All England champion Carolina Marin of Spain, lost in the semi-final of the India Open super-series.
World Champion Marin, who beat Nehwal in the All England final this month, lost to third-seeded Thai Ratchanok Intanon  21-19 21-23 22-20 in the semi-finals.
Olympic bronze medallist Nehwal, 25, will play Japan’s Yui Hashimoto in the second semi-final but will advance to the top irrespective of her result.
“I want to be the best,” Nehwal said before her top ranking was confirmed. “It’s not about the ranking, it’s about being consistent.
“Li Xuerui is injured. You can’t ignore the fact that she’s the best player in the world, but she’s been injured over the last few months.
“When she comes back she will be strong. The Chinese will come back and they will be ready for us.”      
In the men’s tournament, China’s Chai Biao and Hong Wei defeated Russian duo Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov 17-21, 21-18, 21-12 in a doubles contest that lasted a little over 50 minutes.
Yet another Indian, K Srikanth, who defeated Japan’s unseeded Takuma Ueda to reach the semi-final, stood a chance of qualifying for the finals as he was scheduled to take on China’s Xue Song in front of a packed home crowd later.


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