Onus on Sindhu to take attack to opponents
Indian would be eager to better silver show
NEW DELHI: With the 2012 London Olympics three weeks away, Saina Nehwal was going through an intense preparation under the watchful gaze of Pullela Gopichand at his Hyderabad academy. The master coach had one eye fixed on a clutch of Indian youngsters who were competing at the Badminton Asia U-19 Championships.
A certain PV Sindhu had reached the final and was pitted against Japanese Nozomi Okuhara. The youngster beat the talented Okuhara 18-21, 21-17, 22-20 in a marathon contest to corner glory. “These two players belong to the next generation, mark my word,” Gopichand had said.
It was indeed the start of a rivalry that rose to iconic heights at the World Championships final last year where Sindhu and Okuhara were engaged in a gladiatorial battle for close to two hours. Sindhu lost that final but defeated the Japanese in Korea Open final.
A year into that epic contest, Okuhara is ready to defend her title and Sindhu eager to better the colour of her medal when the World Championships begin in Nanjing, China on Monday. It is a stage Sindhu is familiar with. Even before her first Superseries title, Sindhu had two medals (bronze) from the World Championships (2013, 2014).
The women’s circuit may not be dominated by the Chinese anymore but the competition is tough. The likes of Sindhu, Okuhara, Akane Yamaguchi, Tai Tzu Ying, who is the top seed, Sung Ji Hyun, are all capable of claiming the title. There are no clear favourites but Tai , the deceptive stroke-maker, has been a cut above the rest and six titles charts her phenomenal phase this year. They may have different styles but almost all have a similar streak; they are retrievers with good deceptive strokes. It is here that Sindhu stands out with her attacking game.
With her sharp smashes and an ability to hit the lines, She needs to play to her strength and not get drawn into long rallies which she has frequently done against the two Japanese – Okuhara and Yamaguchi. “She needs to play her attacking shots judiciously and vary the pace,” says national selector Vimal Kumar.
Against the Chinese, Sindhu was more comfortable playing her natural game. The reputation of opponents never intimidated her. But in the past one year, title victories have dried out for her. The losses to Okuhara in Thailand Open, Yamaguchi in All England and Superseries Finals must hurt. She needs to break the Japanese code when it comes to the all-important battles. Before that Sindhu will face her first big hurdle in Sung Ji Hyun, another crafty pla-yer. If she is able to conquer her, Okuhara will be waiting, once again.
TITLE WIN
Korea Open (2017):
Sindhu bt Nozomi Okuhara 22-20, 11-21, 21-18