Coach Gopichand hopeful Saina will bounce back

Lucknow: After going without a single title in the 2013 season, Saina Nehwal is hungry for success and chief national coach Pullela Gopichand is hoping that the Indian ace will be able to snap her poor streak at the Syed Modi International tournament, starting tomorrow.

Gopichand hoped it will be a fresh start for Saina at the USD 120,000 Grand Prix Gold event. "I think this is a fresh start for Saina this year. I am expecting her to do well here," the former All-England champion told reporters at the pre-tournament press conference today. Saina, who was ousted in the second round at the USD 500,000 Malaysia Open Super Series Premier last week, was also excited to play in front of home crowd and said she was raring to bag her first title of the year. "Lucknow has been a happy hunting ground for me and I am keen to clinch the Syed Modi title again," said the 23-year-old, who will open her campaign against Matilda Petersen of Sweden tomorrow. The winner will get 7000 points from the tournament. Gopichand also said that this tournament is a big opportunity for Indian shuttlers to test their skills against foreign players, especially against the young Chinese. Badminton lovers across India will witness some fascinating battles as the tournament kicks off at the Babu Banarasi Das UP Badminton academy tomorrow. The six-day event was scheduled to be held in December last year but had to be postponed to January by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to avoid a clash with Super Series Finals in Kuala Lumpur.