Saina retains third spot in world rankings

India’s ace shuttler Saina Nehwal retained third position in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) women’s singles rankings released Thursday. Saina missed out on a chance of equalling her best ever ranking of No.2 when she lost in the semi-finals of the World Super Series Finals in China last week and after controversially retiring from the first round of the ongoing K.L.Garg-Syed Modi International India Grand Prix Gold on Wednesday. There was a change of guard at the top as reigning Olympic champion Li Xuerui replaced compatriot and current World Champion Wang Yihan as the World No.1. India’s P.V. Sindhu dropped a place to 24th. In the men’s singles, London Olympics quarter-finalist Parupalli Kashyap held on to 20th position.