Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal produced a spirited fight back as she outclassed China's Sun Yu to clinch her maiden title of the season at the Australian Open Super Series here on Sunday.
After going down in the first-game, seventh-seed Saina rebounded strongly to register a 11-21, 21-14, 21-19 triumph over her Chinese compatriot in the gruelling summit showdown of the women's singles event that lasted one hour and 11 minutes.
With her second Australian Open title, Saina has also improved her head-to-head record with Sun Yu to 6-1.
The 26-year-old had earlier snapped her semi-final jinx after claiming a straight-game victory over second seed Wang Yihan of China.
Earlier, Saina had struggled to breach the last-four stage in the major tournaments as she made a slew of semifinal finishes at the Swiss Grand Prix Gold, India Super Series, Malaysia Super Series Premier Open and Asia Badminton Championships.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app