PTI
Rio de Janeiro, August 10: Four years after a bronze at London Games made her the toast of the nation, Saina Nehwal will once again carry a billion hopes when she along with the other six shuttlers, including doubles exponent Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, begin their campaign at the Rio Olympics here Thursday.
Saina has been placed in Group G which includes lesser-known players such as Lohaynny Vicente and Maria Ulitina. So she can certainly aim for a pre-quarterfinal berth and take it one match from there on.
“I take each tournament as it comes. My approach to the Games is very positive and I would like to keep it like that and focus on my game. I want to ‘peak’ during this week of the event. I feel that on the day that I am 100 per cent fit, I have the potential to defeat anyone,” said the fifth seed, who will take on Vicente in her tournament opener here.
Saina is likely to meet Thailand’s Porntip Buranaprasetsuk at the pre-quarterfinals and might face reigning champion Li Xuerui in the quarters. Current World Champion and European champion Carolina Marin is a likely rival in the semifinals if Saina proceeds that far.
Two-time World Championship bronze medallist PV Sindhu will also look to make her Olympic debut count when she starts her campaign in Group M which has Hungary’s Sarosi Laura and CWG champion Michelle Li of Canada.
The road ahead will get tough as she is likely to face Tzu Ying Tai of Chinese Taipei and might square off against 2012 Olympic silver medalist Wang Yihan in the semifinals and Sindhu will have to be consistent to come back with a medal.
“I have beaten all of them in the past and it gives me confidence but then it gets tougher and tougher as we play them again and again because they know our strokes and we know their game, so it is all about changing the strategy on the court. That would be the key,” said Sindhu.
In men’s singles, Kidambi Srikanth will carry India’s hopes as he battles in a highly- competitive field comprising Lee Chong Wei, Chen Long, Lin Dan and Jan O Jorgensen, among others.
Among other Indians in the fray women’s doubles pairs of Gutta and Ponnappa and men’s doubles combo of Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy will be keen to shine in Rio.
But then a doubles medal looks highly unlikely for the doubles pairs in here.