Saina Nehwal started her journey to the BWF World Championships 2022 with a win. The former world champion defeated Hong Kong's Cheung Ngan Yi in the first-round match in the women's singles. She defeated Hong Kong's Sutler in straight games and qualified for the second round.
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The result of the game in her favor is 21-19 and 21-9. Saina took just 38 minutes to clear the first match hurdle at the BWF World Badminton Championships 2022 in Tokyo. However, Saina will not have to play in the second round. she will directly play the third round as her second-round opponent Nozomi Okuhara of Japan has withdrawn from the competition. Saina will face the winner of the third-round match between Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand and Yvonne Li of Germany.
Saina was in control in both games in the first-round match against Cheung. The Hong Kong shuttler tried to fight back in the first game but was unable to stand up in the second game. Her husband and former Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap coached Saina.
Saina has never looked as comfortable this season as she did in this match. If Saina, who missed the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, does well in the World Championships. It will boost her confidence manifold. The Indian shuttler, who won bronze at the London Olympics, is expected to do well at the World Championships, having reached the last eight of the Singapore Open.
Saina is currently India's sole representative at the ongoing Badminton World Championships in women's singles, as young shuttler, Malvika Bansud was knocked out in the first round. 2019 World Badminton Championship winner PV Sindhu did not participate in this competition due to injury. Sindhu was injured in the gold-winning match at the Commonwealth Games.
In the women's doubles, the in-form Indian pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Jolly Tresa defeated Lo Yin Yuan and Valerie Seo in the first-round match. The result of the game in favor of the Indian pair is 21-11, 21-13.