New Delhi--Saina Nehwal, badminton's new world number one, trounced her Thai challenger, Ratchanok Intanon, on Sunday to win the India Open women's singles on home turf.
Nehwal defeated Ratchanok 21-16, 21-14 in less than an hour in the final of the Super Series tournament in front of an adoring crowd packed into the Siri Fort stadium in New Delhi.
The 25-year-old Nehwal has already had a dream run this year after reaching the final of the prestigious All England Championship earlier this month where she lost to Spain's Carolina Marin.
Nehwal became the world number one -- the first Indian to do so -- after she reached the semi-finals of the Indian Open tournament, although rankings are not formally announced by the Badminton World Federation until Thursday.
Another Indian shuttler, K Srikanth, is scheduled to take on Denmark's Viktor Axelsen later Sunday in the men's singles final.
Srikanth stormed into the final with a comfortable 21-16, 21-13 victory over China's Xue Song in the semi-final on Saturday.
Earlier on Sunday, the Japanese duo of Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi defeated their Chinese challengers Luo Ying and Luo Yu 21-19 and 21-19 to win the women's doubles final in a 81-minute encounter.
Two other Chinese pairs had a better day, routing their opponents in the mixed and men's doubles finals.
Chai Biao and Hong Wei comfortably defeated Denmark's Conrad Petersen and Mads Pieler Kolding 21-18 and 21-14 to take the men's doubles title in 45 minutes.
China's Liu Cheng and Bao Yixin downed Denmark's Christinna Pedersen and Joachim Fischer Nielsen in the mixed doubles final, with a score of 21-19, 21-19 in 52 minutes.
AFP
