World Championships – Women’s Singles Favourites

Published 07/30/2015, 5:08 AM EDT
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When the BWF World Championships kick off at the Senayan Indoor sporting arena in Jakarta on August 10, the most unpredictable would be the Women’s Singles event. New names and upsets have marked the 2015 season for women’s singles. With so many players in the fray, picking an outright favourite would be tough. Who will lift the trophy would purely depend on who has the mental and physical strength to outlast their opponents in a week of high octane badminton. Nevertheless, there are surely a few players who can be considered front-runners for the title. Essentially Sports brings you five ladies who have the best shot at winning the Championships based on form and experience.

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After starting the season slowly, the Chinese has shown signs of picking up her old form. Yihan dropped as low a 8 in the rankings before a semi-final finish at the Indonesian Open and title win at the Chinese Taipei open pushed her to 6. The 2011 World Champion has a pretty easy draw to the quarter-finals where she is likely to face Saina Nehwal. Yihan wouldn’t be losing sleep over that much either as she enjoys an 8-2 record over the Indian. But their last meeting at the All England Open was a cake-walk for Saina. If Wang Yihan manages to hold her nerves, she can clinch the title a second time.

The youngest World Champion’s season has been hot and cold. She has won titles and also lost before the quarters within a space of weeks. The Indonesian though, will play at home with the Indonesian Open victory providing the needed confidence. The 5 seed should have an easy path to the quarter-finals before she runs into 4 seed Tai Tzu Ying. With the crowd backing her, she will be pumped and motivated to win back the crown she won in 2013.

The Chinese hasn’t had an exceptional season far according to her standards. This might be something her rivals wouldn’t consider a threat but the runner-up finish at the Chinese Taipei might have given the Olympic gold medalist the rhythm she needs. Twice, the World No.3 has faltered at the finals of the World Championships. She will be more determined than any other player in the fray to set the record straight.

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A World Championship medal is the biggest space in the Indian’s career. She has reached the quarter-finals every time she has entered the event, falling one win short of a medal. This time though, Saina would want nothing short of gold. A bright start to the year has slowly faded, but her opponents would discount her at their own peril. Well rested after the Indonesian Open, the World No.2 will look to create history as the first Indian to win gold at the World Championships

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Undoubtedly the woman to beat, Carolina will not be short of motivation to retain the title she won in Copenhagen. Barring the surprise at the Indonesian Open, the Spaniard has had a dream season. 3 Superseries titles and the World No.1 spot means the leftie is the clear favourite to take home the title. Though there have been reports that she had a broken 5 metatarsal, in full fitness Carolina has looked invincible in 2015. This Championship is hers to lose.

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