HYDERABAD: Indonesian Super Series winner Saina Nehwal, ranked eighth in the world, is seeded second in the Malaysian Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament that began in Johor Bahru on Tuesday.
The qualification matches were completed on Tuesday and the main draw will comme nce from Wednesday. The final is scheduled for June 28. The Malaysian Open and Indian Open tournaments are just below the Super Series category list.
World No.6 and Indian Open winner Hongyan Pi of France is the top seed in the tournament in the absence of top players like Mi Zhou of China (World No.1), Tine Rasmussen of Denmark (World No.2), Lin Wang of China (World No.3), Yihan Wang of China (World No.4) and Xingfang Xie of China (World No.5). Also missing in the action would be World No. 7 Chen Wang (Hong Kong).
Saina defeated World No.3 Lin Wang to win her first-ever Super Series title in Jakarta.
The Indian star is expected to break into top five once the new rankings are released on Thursday.
Saina was given the option to pull out of the Malaysian Open but she wanted to play.
“There will be lot of expectation, particularly after the win in Indonesia.
“It will be a good opportunity for her to get more match practice before the World Championship,’’ said chief coach Pullela Gopi Chand.
Saina will face Thailand’s Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, World No.39, in the first round match on Wednesday while Aditi Mutatkar, the second Indian in the main draw, meets Singapore’s Fu Mintian.