A morale-boosting title win in the Malaysia Masters secured, fit-again Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal will now take a small break to continue her rehab and is likely to be seen in action at the German Open in February-March
Saina Nehwal
Lucknow: A morale-boosting title win in the Malaysia Masters secured, fit-again Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal will now take a small break to continue her rehab and is likely to be seen in action at the German Open in February-March.
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Saina won the Grand Prix Gold event in Malaysia on Sunday, her first title after a career-threatening knee injury, that had derailed her Olympic campaign in Rio.
The 26-year-old has decided to skip the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow this week. Asked if she would play any tournament ahead of the all-important All England Championship, Saina said: “Most probably the German Grand Prix Gold, it depends on my fitness and how good I feel. I need a few good weeks to be at my best which I didn’t get after I recovered from rehab.”
Saina, who won the silver at All England and World Championship in 2015, said she doesn’t want to exert herself as that might result in another injury. “I just came out of such a major injury and I can’t push my knee with back-to-back tournaments and get injured again,” said the London Olympics Games bronze-medallist.
“I need to go into rehab and strengthen it because after a surgery you lose your muscle mass and strength which I need to keep improving. And of course rest is required for the knee,” she said.
Saina endured a tough season last year when an Achilles tendinitis affected her performance but she recovered to win the Australian Open.
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