Swiss open champion Saina Nehwal says injuries delayed her maiden title this year

Saina Nehwal, who bagged her maiden title of the year ufffd the Wilson Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold yesterday, feels the victory has come bit too late in the year.

Saina Nehwal

After winning three back-to-back titles in 2010, the Hyderabadi shuttler didn't start 2011 very well. She missed the season-opening Malaysian Open and crashed out in the second round of her comeback tournament, the Korean Open, followed by a quarter-final loss in the All-England earlier this month.u00a0u00a0

"I badly wanted to win the All-England this time, but I am happy to win the Swiss Open. It was bad luck that my ankle irritated me a lot, otherwise I was in good form back then. It is definitely a late victory for me in this year," Saina, who turned 23 on Thursday, told MiD DAY from Basel, where she thrashed South Korean Sung Ji Hyun 21-13, 21-14 to win her third Grand Prix Gold tournament.

World No 4 Saina took early control of the match taking seven points in a row from 6-7 to lead 13-7. She then consolidated on the lead and won the first game.

Saina opened up a 7-3 lead in the second game and did not allowu00a0 Ji Hyun to come back, registering her second victory against the unseeded Korean in as many meetings.

The Swiss Open victory would also do a lot of good to Saina's confidence. She beat Japan's Eriko Hirose, who upset her in the All England Championships, in the second round here.

"This tournament has been a good confidence booster," she concluded.

Saina Nehwal