Anthony Hill did not seem interested

It’s D-day now. I’have got to put in that one last, huge effort to win the World Open title. This title is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time now and I’m geared up to give it everything I’ve got. Last year, I lost in the final to Rodney Eyles of Australia, but it was a real superlative performance from him.

This time around, I’m much better prepared. I’ve had a great year, in which I’ve become No 1, won the British Open, gold at the Commonwealth Games and many other lesser tournaments. And I’m ready to add the World Open title to my kitty. There are some little things that bothered me during the semifinal, and I’ve worked on them. In the final I would like to be sharper, begin more positive and dominate the game right from the start. Coming to my opponent Jonathan Power, it’s his first major final and it remains to be seen how he copes with the pressure. It won’t be easy for him at all.

Against Anthony Hill, Jonathan played well in the first game, but then made a lot of mistakes in thesecond and even the third. By the fourth, it appeared as if Hill was not too interested in what’s happening on court.For me, preparing for a final is similar to preparing for any match, except since I’ve already played the earlier rounds on that same court, I’m that much more focussed and clinical.