Hong Kong title as good as being number one: Saina

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal is in no hurry to become the World number one and said winning the prestigious Hong Kong Super Series title in Wanchai was as good as achieving the numero uno status as she had beaten some top players en route to her victory.

On Sunday, Saina capped a dream year with her fourth Super Series title when she won the Hong Kong Open but that is unlikely to push her to the number one ranking.

"I will be happy if I finish the year with number one ranking. I don't know yet what is the system and how it is going to happen. I think this year I will be remaining at world number three or four but winning this tournament is like becoming world number one for me. So it's ok," Saina told reporters.

"I will achieve it this year or next year. I mean, all players want to become world number one and I have the same dream. Lets us see when I will achieve it," she added.

Saina bagged three back-to-back titles this year, winning the Indian Open Grand Prix Gold in Chennai, Singapore Super Series and defending the Indonesian Super Series.

The Hyderabadi girl also won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in New Delhi, before having a heartbreak at the Asian Games but Saina made sure she ends the year on a high by winning the Hong Kong Open.

"It has been a dream year for me. I played five super series out of 12 and really happy that I did well in three of them and lost in the semi-finals in one of them. Also winning the Commonwealth Gold was a memorable one," Saina said.

"I am also happy with the Padma Shri and Khel Ratna award. What else a player needs? I would like thank Gopi (Pullela Gopichand) and Bhaskar Babu sir. They worked hard for this," she added.

Saina defeated the Asian Games gold medallist Shixian Wang of China in the Hong Kong Open final and she said it was special.

"Although I was quite nervous in the first set, I played very well in the second and third game. I can now start 2011 with a lot of confidence," she said.

Expressing disappointment with her failure in the Asian Games, where she lost in the quarter-finals, Saina said she wanted to give her best in the Hong Kong Open.

"I did not find any mistake in my game (in the Hong Kong Open). I improved strokes-wise. Everything was moving perfectly well in the tournament," she said.

Asked about her challenges ahead, Saina said the World Championships and the Olympics qualifying events would be important next year.

"My aim is to win a Olympics medal and I will be happy if I win the world championships as well, also all the super series," she said with a smile.

Saina said she is not afraid of the Chinese players who have ruled the badminton scene in the world for long.

Her mentor and chief national coach Gopichand said Saina's series of victories have been really fantastic.

"Three super series in a year and a CWG title this year are fantastic. The field at the Hong Kong Open was actually strong. To win an event like Hong Kong Open at the stadium where the event was held, I think it was a really wonderful.

"Next year is going to have its own challenges. The world championships and the All England, these are the two big events," he said.

"From the day of the Indonesian Super Series last year till now, it is great. Four super series victories career-wise is some thing great to achieve in a span of a year and a half," he added.