Saina has chance to prove top-10 credentials at Super Series Masters

From an upstart last season to the woman to beat at Malaysias season-ending badminton Super Series Masters this year...

From an upstart last season to the woman to beat at Malaysias season-ending badminton Super Series Masters this year,Saina Nehwal has spent her first year amongst the top-10 elite clutching dearly to her new-found star-status. The 19-year-old Indian top-seed at the Johor Bahru Masters Final in a vastly depleted assembly of shuttlers for the eight-player cash-rich $500,000 event was an adventurous hunter around the same time last year,scalping wins against unsuspecting higher-ranked opponents as she made the semi-finals. This time,she is the highest-ranked in the womens singles field in Malaysia at No 8 and is a marked rival after losing in recent weeks to shuttlers below her in the rankings.

Topmost on Sainas mind as she starts her round-robin campaign in the four-player Group A against Malaysian Mew Choo Wong on Wednesday is the clear intent to assert her top-seeded status. Though it makes a mockery of the Masters title to the the tournament,the Indian will benefit from the withdrawal of her Chinese and Japanese rivals who are focusing on the East Asian Games and other top shuttlers staying away owing to fitness issues and injury. In addition,she is placed in the easier of the two groups.

But after visibly struggling through the second half of 2009 to fend off lower-ranked irritants especially in the top-20 bracket,the Indonesian Super Series champion is looking to reiterate her dominance. Even as she contends with the daunting Chinese puzzle,it isnt just enough to be No 8 in the world if you cant reinforce your top-10 tag with affirming wins over lesser opponents.

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Whether it is due to the weariness of the season or the reverses she has suffered in the last few tournaments against lower-ranked players,Saina starts on a circumspect note. Of the three players in my group,Canadian Charmaine Reid seems manageable and easy to beat. But the other two will give me a tough fight, she said. Mew Choo Wong,a floater in the top-20s and injury riddled,is on the resurgence path after the frail-looking,counter-punching No 20 Malaysian ended the only one amongst 8 non-Chinese quarter-finalists at the seasons last of the dozen Super Series tournaments in Shanghai. Ive lost to her twice,but Id beaten her here at the same tournament last year. She runs a lot and picks all shuttles,so Im prepared for the running game, Nehwal said.

Her other opponent Thai Porntip Buranaprasertsuk,ranked 37,has also lost twice to the Indian,but Nehwal will be on her guard to prevent any more complacent slides against unheralded players.

Admitting that Group B comprising Thai Salakjit Ponsana,Dutch woman Jie Yao and the German pair of Nicole Grether and Juliane Schenk will witness the closer skirmishes,Nehwal says she can ill-afford to take it easy.

Its a different tournament from last year,and though I know I have a good chance of winning the title,its too early to say anything. I feel good about my preparation,and as top seed I want to do well, says the 19-year-old.