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Marin Crushes Saina Nehwal's Bid For Gold At Badminton Worlds

Marina Crushes Saina Nehwal's Bid For Gold At Badminton Worlds
India's Saina Nehwal reacts after losing a point to Indonesia's Maria Kristina Yulianti during their women's singles quarter-final badminton match for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium on August 13, 2008. AFP PHOTO/Indranil MUKHERJEE (Photo credit should read INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images)
INDRANIL MUKHERJEE via Getty Images
India's Saina Nehwal reacts after losing a point to Indonesia's Maria Kristina Yulianti during their women's singles quarter-final badminton match for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium on August 13, 2008. AFP PHOTO/Indranil MUKHERJEE (Photo credit should read INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images)

Saina Nehwal was thwarted in her quest to become first Indian women’s player to win a gold medal at the World Championship. She lost her final match against defending champion and number one seed Carolina Marin 16-21 19-21 in Jakarta on Sunday.

After leading early in both sets, Saina let go of the advantage and ended up the second best. This is however still the best performance ever by an Indian as Nehwal became the first Indian player to win a silver at Worlds.

Nehwal, who has won close to 20 international titles including the Olympics bronze, was always unlucky when it came to the World championship. She was struck down by chicken pox once, stomach bug later - the 24-year-old was always laid low by some off-court problems. Even before the Worlds she was suffering from shoulder niggle but she did not allow that to affect her game.

(With inputs from PTI)

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