With Inputs from TNN

New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS): India's Saina Nehwal won the gold in the women's singles badminton event at the Commonwealth Games, defeating Malaysia's Mew Choo Wong 19-21, 23-21, 21-13 in a cliff-hanger here Thursday.

Saina's medal took India's gold count to 38.

Earlier, India's Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa upset top-seeded Singaporeans Yao Lei and Sari Shinta Mulia, 21-16, 21-19 to win the women's doubles gold.

With the win, world number three Saina became the nation's first woman shuttler to win a Commonwealth Games gold.

Top seed Saina in the event, who had been in red-hot form this year, winning three titles - India Open, Singapore Superseries and Indonesian Superseries - rose to the occasion.

Saina had beaten Wong at the Asian Championship in April, Indian Open final in June, Singapore Superseries in first round in June and at the team event of the Commonwealth Games, and again repeated her feat in the final.