Fresh from her conquest at the Hong Kong Super Series last week, Saina was practicing this morning, she felt a slight pain on her right ankle and decided to draw out to avoid aggravating the injury.

"I had felt a little jerk in my right ankle during the third set of the Hong Kong Open finals but it wasn't bad. Even after I came back home, it was ok but this morning I felt the area had swelled a bit and there was a little pain. So just to be on the safe side, I decided to withdraw," Saina said.

The tournament is already grappling with star draw outs with second seed Maria Febe Kusumastuti of Indonesia, fourth seed Jeanine Cicognini of Switzerland and sixth seed Indian Aditi Mutatkar pulling out of women's singles yesterday.
KC Punnaiah Choudhary, secretary (Events) of Badminton Association of India, said Saina's withdrawl will affect the tournament.

"Of course, it (Saina's absence) is going to affect the tournament," Choudary said.
"I won't be able to play the Super Series Masters or the National Championship as I am taking a break, and I am yet to decide on the schedule next year. May be I will be back with the Malaysian Open, I have to see," she said.