P.V. Sindhu - Today simply wasn’t her day

Among the millions of fans anxiously waiting for one of the most prestigious semis, I was also thrilled – rather emotionally involved, knowing jolly well that the fight is going to be very tough. Now, whatever the outcome has been, we will have to accept with an open heart the fact that the rival player has got a better ranking, records, overall exposure and experience. Frankly speaking, it appears the Thai player possesses better skills, which is a result of quality coaching, environment and comparatively much better standards of fitness. As far as today’s result goes, let us make it clear to ourselves that in the game, miracles do happen, but not every other day!

Not going by a point-wise critical analysis of the game, I would rather prefer to have a look as to what went wrong. In one of my earlier articles on PV Sindhu, it was specifically underlined that her advantage is her height (5 feet 10 inches). But today, it has been noticed by one and all, that if you are slightly taller then you will find it difficult in picking up ankle level shots. Apart from these, Sindhu was seen struggling at net play. Also the coach would like to have a workout in the field of returning the shuttle with precise accuracy.

As pointed out in the earlier article, I believe she lacks the required level of stamina, which is essentially among the vital ingredients in one’s performance. But then, we also know that she is still very young, and a disciplined work-out schedule, along with a well monitored diet chart, will deliver the goods.

Today, we also noticed a slight lack of agility in her play. In this ever increasing competitive world of badminton, your quick reflexes and fitness do play an important role in winning or losing a match. Perhaps she was undergoing a bit of stress, keeping in view the level of her opponent and the ever increasing expectations of countless fans – whose hopes were suddenly increased when Saina got out of the game.

Last but not the least, it’s just a beginning for Sindhu and she has already fetched a lot of achievements in a very short span of time and her pace is still commendable. She has powerful smashes, eye for leaving the close calls and most importantly, her overall sincere efforts, commitment and dedication towards the game will keep giving us immense pleasure in supporting her. Best wishes for the Malaysian Open.