Sindhu satisfied with super 2011

PV Sindhu’s had a fantastic year. The 16-year-old badminton prodigy from Hyderabad has shot up to world no.44 – and now has a shot at joining senior compatriot Saina Nehwal in the Olympics. Sindhu achieved the enviable ranking in just her first full year on the senior circuit, winning three international titles and ending runner-up in another. Her talent has attracted the attention of observers and she is already being talked of as a future star.

“I’m happy with my performance this year,” Sindhu acknowledges. “There is one tournament left – the Tata Open – and I want to perform well.”

Sindhu carried forward the good form she’d shown last year, when she won the Iran International Challenge and made the semifinals of the India Open Grand Prix. Her first title of the year came in June at the Maldives International, when she beat compatriot PC Thulasi in the final. Following that was the Indonesia International, her most memorable performance so far. She dumped two seeds on the way to the final, where she took on home favourite Francisca Ratnasari – to whom she had lost the India Open GP. This time she gave the Indonesian no chance, as she closed out the match 21-16 21-11.

“Indonesia was memorable, because I’d lost to Ratnasari at the India Open GP,” she says. “When I faced her in the final, I knew I had a chance because I’d taken her to three games the last time. The early part of the match had a lot of rallies. Some even went to 30 strokes, and I could sense that she was getting tired. Even the crowd started supporting me.”

At the Dutch Open in October, she claimed her biggest scalp – that of India Open Super series champion Porntip B of Thailand, before falling to veteran Dutchwoman Yao Jie in the final.

She won the Swiss International the very next week, taking down experienced players like Camilla Sorensen, Judith Meulendijks and Jeanine Cicognini.

Perhaps the one disappointment was the World Junior Championships, which she was expected to win. Sindhu fell in the second round to Yuki Fukushima of Japan, to whom she had also lost in the team event. “I was disappointed with my performance at the World Juniors,” she says. “I didn’t play well in the team event against Yuki, but in the individual event I was leading 18-13 in the third game. I couldn’t win from there. It’s okay… I know I can beat her. There are a few good players around the world, but I know if I work hard I can beat them.”

Sindhu had played inspirationally in the team event until the loss to Yuki, for she had won all seven of her matches – four singles and three doubles.

The teenager lost early in qualifying at the last two Superseries events, and she knows that the draw in the Superseries is a different level altogether. “It’s different, but if you work hard you can get the results. I’ve been able to attend a lot of tournaments, thanks to support from Olympic Gold Quest. They’ve been supporting me for a year. I know there are expectations from people, but I don’t feel any pressure.”