CHENNAI: Coming into the tournament unseeded, Joshna Chinappa was up against facing higher ranked opponents. However, that did not stop the Indian from kicking off a dominant run that ended with a win over Egyptian Haya Ali in the final of the Japan Open tour on Monday to win the trophy. This was her 199th PSA tour in her career spanning decades. "The tour has become incredibly tough and strong at all levels. I knew there was going to be a lot of competition. (And) Of course, the Egyptian girls are really good, they're strong. I really took it one match at a time," she told this daily.
Earlier this year, Ali, Chinappa's opponent, had defeated her in the second round of the Bermuda Open. Monday's final was an opportunity for Chinappa to avenge that defeat. She did just that, beating her 11-5, 11-9, 6-11 & 8-11. Unlike her previous matches, where she won in straight sets, Chinappa was pushed to the fourth set to win the title. "The more comfortable I got after each match, the more confident I felt. I just went out there to enjoy myself and just play squash, you know, and I think that's what really helped me," she explained.
She is now focussed on maintaining her fitness and carefully choosing tournaments to participate in a bid to prepare for important tournaments like the Asian Games next year. Her knee injury in December 2023 and the subsequent recovery last year was her reason behind her decision to choose tournaments. "The focus was really to get back on tour but not push myself to a point where I was playing so many tournaments and burning out again. I needed my body to last. So, this year has been more about choosing the tournaments I want to play, training correctly, really looking after my body and giving myself enough time to prepare for something and going for a tournament in a good frame of mind. So, that's my priority," she said.
With age, the question of fitness and the physical tenacity looms over every athlete in sport. Joshna, 39, has put in the work to recover and keep her fitness in optimum level. "I honestly feel like I'm fitter today than I was even in my early 30s or even late 20s. So, a lot of work has gone into being able to do that today. And the only difference I would say is, recovery-wise, I've got to take a lot more effort to ensure that I recover properly. When you are younger, you can snap out of tough matches and tough training a lot faster. And now, obviously, I do feel it at times," she said.
This has also helped Chinnappa prepare well for the matches. "There are times you will have to improve and improvise and change certain mindsets. As I get older, I go so much more prepared for a particular tournament. And I use (these) challenges as opportunities to really improve and grow. I was very clear what my goals are and the fact that I wanted to come back to play and if I can, push forward a little bit and see if I do make the Asian Games team," she explained.
With a team of nutritionist and fitness trainers, Chinnappa's plans are on track, as she tries to take it day by day. "There are days I take it week by week and month by month. But I have a general idea of what I want to play and what I want to prepare for. I have a wonderful team in the Indian Squash Academy here (led by coach Alan Soyza), and of course, I have my own team as well," she said.
