I was mentally prepared: Saina Nehwal

Saina Nehwal had said her draw was not as easy as it seems on paper. The tournament fourth seed faced a tough challenge from Tine Baun from Denmark on Thursday evening. After a hard-fought 21-15, 22-20 win and sweating profusely, Saina spoke exclusively to The Sunday Indian (TSI).

TSI: How real does it seem after such a close quarterfinal match?

Saina: Oh, I just can’t believe it I won such a thriller. When I was down 17-20, I was mentally prepared for a third game and then I gave it all. I smashed my guts out and said I will only attack. I did that and the result worked in my favour. This win will really boost my confidence.

TSI: You are going to play the top seed Wang Yihan on Friday. Are you prepared?

Saina: You have no choice. To win the gold medal, one must beat the top players and I am in good shape. Tine gave me a good workout today. For the first time in the Olympics, I have really stretched my legs. I knew Tine would be a difficult customer. She is tall and powerful and so I needed to play my game well. It was my toughest match so far and if I can keep this form, the semifinal should be a good contest.

TSI: You are getting a lot of support. The whole stadium was cheering for you.

Saina: Yes, the support is fantastic. London is like mini-India and I am not surprised that I could hear things like “Jeetega bhai jeetega, India jeetega” and “Go Saina go”. But these things can put a lot of pressure on you. As a player you sometimes have to shut these things out. Crowd support always helps. Our fans will have a vocal match with the Chinese tomorrow.

TSI: Quarterfinal in Beijing and a semifinal spot in London. You must be excited.

Saina: Yes, it looks like a dream to be in this position. But the job is still not over. I have to play two more tough matches and today’s win will give me the confidence. I have been playing continuously and I am sure the results will show.

TSI: There were quite a few line calls that you didn’t like. Will you want a tennis-like video referral system in badminton?

Saina: I don’t want to sound controversial, but such a system won’t be a bad idea. I had five bad calls today. In tough matches, a single point can prove crucial. The Olympics will do well with a fool proof system. Line judges can make mistakes.