HYDERABAD: After a sportsperson conquers something as big as an Olympic silver medal, his/her performances following the quadrennial extravaganza are kept under close watch by fans and critics alike. Consider the case of PV Sindhu. The 21-year-old captivated India by clinching silver at the recently concluded Rio Olympics.
The Hyderabad girl's travel itinerary started overflowing due to felicitations organised in various corners of India. Her training would have definitely been affected but she made up for that by practicing while travelling, as she had told Express before embarking on a post-Olympic season. She suffered a second-round defeat at her first stop – the Denmark Open Super Series premier. The following week saw her make a similar second round exit at the hands of He Bingjiao (China), whom she had defeated in Denmark.
But, as the catchphrase goes "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back", she channeled her two early exits and conquered one of the biggest events that the sport has to offer – the China Open. Up against higher-ranked Sun Yu of China on Sunday, she displayed her dominance in a game lasting over an hour. The Indian raced to an early lead to take the first game comfortably 21-11. The second game saw fortune shift sides, as Yu came from behind to clinch it 21-17. The decider was again commanded by Sindhu and she was able to grab her maiden Super Series Premier trophy by dismantling her opponent 21-11.
Chatting with Express after the win, she expressed her joy. "I am very very happy. This is my first Super Series title. Though I was a little busy with felicitation functions, I managed to find time to practice." Asked whether she changed her game a little bit for this tournament, the ever-smiling youngster said: "I concentrated more on my defensive side of the game."
The final game was a relatively easier affair when compared with the semi-final against Sung Ji Hyun of Korea when she saved three match points to stage a miraculous victory. "The semifinal was undoubtedly a tough encounter as I won after being 17-20 down." She radiates positive energy and said that early exits did not bother her as she was doing her best. With a big trophy in her kitty she will be next seen in action at the Hong Kong Open Super Series tournament. "I want to come up in the rankings," she concluded.