Moments after pulling off the biggest title victory of her career, Saina Nehwal said the triumph at the Indonesian Super Series was a "dream come true" but never expected it to come at such an early age.
World No 8 Saina beat No 3 Chinese Lin Wang 12-21, 21-18, 21-9 in a 49-minute hard-fought summit showdown in Jakarta.
"It is a dream come true for me, it couldn't have been better. I am elated, excited and shocked as well. I always wanted to win a Super series but I have never thought I will win it at such an early age," she said.
"I was playing well all these months but losing close matches against top ranked players, so it was a little difficult to believe that I have actually won. It took time for realisation to sink in," she said from Jakarta.
At the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, Saina put in umpteen hours as part of a strict daily training regimen and the 20-year-old player says she is happy that the hard work has finally paid off.
"I have always believed in working hard and have given everything in training and during the matches, and so I feel extremely happy and proud of my achievement," she said.
The Hyderabad-based girl, who won the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold tournament in September, ranked the Indonesian Open title as her best ever performance till date.
"It has to be my best win because I have defeated two Chinese players in this tournament. There was Lan Lu, whom I defeated in straight games and then here today against Wang I rallied well and beat her under 10 points in the third game," Saina said.
Saina thanked her Indonesian coach Atik Jauhari for devising proper strategy for her so that she could win over Wang.
"The Indonesian supporters have been very supportive and I am thankful to coach, who gave me a very good plan as how to go about my match. The plan fell perfectly in place as she was under pressure," she said.
Saina is now eyeing the World Championship and a place in the top five.
"I want to break into the top five now, but my first priority is the World Championship in Hyderabad in August. I want to work harder and perform better with each match," she said.
Saina will next feature in the Malaysian Open Grand Prix Gold tournament, starting on June 23.