We have learned to become more patient. We are a more experienced pair now,” says Jwala Gutta on her mixed-doubles partnership with V Diju. They became the first Indian duo to win a Grand Prix Gold title recently by beating Hendra Aprida Gunawan and Vita Marissa of Indonesia 23-21, 21-18 in the final in Chinese Taipei.
The 25-year-old Jwala says this victory is one of the most cherished moments of her career. “In the past,” she recalls, “we came close to beating many top pairs, including the world and Olympic champions, but somehow could not finish off those matches. We have learned from our mistakes. A lot of thinking goes into our game now. We don’t rush into points.”
Winning a Super Series title will be the duo’s next target, says Jwala. “It will be very tough, but not impossible. International tournaments are tough and can sometimes be is very tiring. Apart from our game, we have been focusing on our fitness. This helped us play confidently in back-to-back tournaments.”
The feisty left-hander is hopeful that the pair will break into the top five in the world ranking shortly. “We are close,” says Jwala, who does not regret splitting with her women’s doubles partner Shruti Kurien after 15 long years. “One has to be professional with regard to one’s career. I thought I would achieve better results in mixed doubles than in the women’s doubles on the international circuit. When my partnership with Diju began flourishing, I felt that the best way forward was to focus more on mixed doubles.”
The 28-year-old Diju, cool and efficient, says the Chinese Taipei win is a big breakthrough in their career as a doubles pair.
“I think we had been playing good badminton for the past year. We have been consistent and strong in our performances. We have lost a couple of close matches but this win in Chinese Taipei should be the turning point. The semifinal, fast and exciting, was tougher than the final. But we held our nerve and were patient with our game,” says Diju.
Diju and Jwala have put in a lot of hard work to raise their game to international standards. “We have tightened our defence. Jwala attacking from the back and being a left-hander is an advantage for us. We are able to manoeuvre more freely and move confidently on the court,” says Diju, who is not unduly worried about breaking into the top five in the world rankings.
“Our priority is to win matches. We have the winning formula but need to work on our consistency. That will be the key to our success in international tournaments,” he says.
Jwala says there is not much difference between Super Series and Grand Prix Gold tournaments. “In fact, the Olympic champions lost in the Chinese Taipei tournament. We are capable of beating the Olympic and world Champions,” she says. Diju and Jwala’s next big tournament will be the Yonex Open Japan Super Series to be held between September 22-27. Chief national coach Pullela Gopi Chand is happy with Jwala and Diju’s performances in mixed doubles.
“They are combining well and have been impressive. Jwala and Diju have always been an aggressive pair. Diju is very good at the net and Jwala complements him with attacking play from the backcourt. I think a little more work on their fitness levels would make them the most dangerous mixed doubles pair in the world,” says Gopi.
Syed Mohammad Arif, former chief national coach, also predicts more success for the Diju-Jwala pair. “ They have developed their game and are very positive on the court. Naturally, they are making a mark in mixed doubles. That they are ranked among the top ten in the world is a matter of pride for Indian badminton,” says Arif.
The doubles combination was always a problem area for Indian badminton in the past, says Sanjay Sharma, former international player. “India has never had a strong mixed doubles combination but Diju and Jwala have changed the script for good. They are dangerous and if they continue in the same vein, they can be the top pair in the world. That would be a huge breakthrough for Indian badminton,” says Sanjay.
Meanwhile, Diju hints he would like to partner Chetan Anand in men’s doubles in tournaments in India. “We might play in a couple of tournaments in India to see how well we combine. If we click, our partnership could be useful in the Thomas Cup,” says Diju.
However, Chetan says that while he will consider playing doubles, he is more interested in singles. “I’m more focussed on the singles. I need to improve my ranking in singles,” he says.
As of now, Sanave Thomas and Rupesh Kumar are the top men’s doubles pair in the country.
das@epmltd.com
career graph
Jwala Gutta-Valiyaveetil Diju
World ranking : 10
Ranking points : 41390
achievements
30-08-2009 — Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold — Winner
29-03-2009 — Yonex-Sunrise India Open Gold GP — Runner-Up
01-03-2009 — Yonex German Open GP — Quarterfinalist
18-01-2009 — Korea Super Series — Semi-Finalist
12-10-2008 — KLRC Bulgaria Open Grand Prix — Winner
05-10-2008 — Bitburger Open Grand Prix — Winner
22-06-2008 — Nepal International Series — Winner
05-12-2007 — India International Challenge — Winner
04-12-2005 — Welsh International — Winner
25-06-2005 — Jakarta Satellite 2005 — Winner