J

AKARTA: Playing in her third straight final at the Djarum Indonesia Open Super Series Premier badminton tournament on Sunday, world No. 4 women’s singles shuttler Saina Nehwal of India is looking for support from Indonesian fans.

“I’m just looking forward to having one good final again in Indonesia. I hope for support from Indonesian fans, that’s all I want,” the 21 year old said Saturday after beating Taiwan’s Cheng Shao Chieh 21-14, 14-21, 21-17 to book her spot in the final.

“I’ve been receiving [their support] since the first round, and I’m sure the result will be good tomorrow, let’s see how it goes,” Nehwal, the winner of the event in 2009 and 2010, said.

In Sunday’s final, Nehwal faces world No. 3 Wang Yihan of China, who beat compatriot Jiang Yanjio, the tournament’s sixth seed, in Saturday’s semifinal.

“I feel like I’m at home when playing in Indonesia. I think there’s some kind of connection between me and Indonesia,” she said. “I will definitely never skip a tournament held in Indonesia.” — JP