This match could have gone either way: Sindhu

Dubai – Indian star PV Sindhu heaved a sigh of relief after winning a dramatic opening match against Chinese youngster He Bingjiao at the Dubai World Superseries Finals on Wednesday. Sindhu had to dig deep to beat Bingjiao 21-11, 16-21, 21-18 in the Group A game. “Yeah it is never easy with her. Last time I played her it went to three sets as well and today also it was the same,” Sindhu told reporters after winning the one-hour-four minute battle at the Hamdan Sports Complex. “I knew it was going to be a long match. Her defence is very good and she has some very good strokes. It was a very good game. “Overall, I feel very happy because I won my first match. Now I hope to continue the momentum and give my best in the second match tomorrow. There are no easy matches in this tournament. Every match is equally tough in this tournament. We just need to play our best game,” she added. Sindhu was in unstoppable form at the start, winning the first set in just 14 minutes. “The first set went well for me because she was making lot of mistakes. But then in the second game she played well and after winning that set, she was playing so well in the third set,” Sindhu admitted. “This match could have gone either way you know. She was leading 5-2 in the third set so it was very important for me to focus. I never felt it was over until the last point. “Even when I was leading 20-16, she won two points and made it 20-18. So I had to fight hard until the very last point. It was very tough today.” Sindhu realizes the importance of recovering well after a tough match. “Yes, it’s very important to recover well after each match. As soon as the match ends, you need to take the precautions because you need to be 100 per cent ready for the next match,” said Sindhu who will face Japanese star Sakaya Sato on Thursday in Group A. Sindhu, the only Indian player in history to have won two silver medals in the two biggest tournaments – Olympics and World Championships — then explained why it’s so difficult to win a World Super Series Finals title. “Each tournament is equally important. You can never take it easy in any tournament. But yes, this tournament is comparatively very tough and here if you see only the top eight players are playing so you have to be very much focused and try to give your 100 per cent in every match,” said Sindhu who reached the semifinals in the 2016 event in Dubai. “Till now this year has been very good for me and I really hope to end the year on a high in Dubai.”