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Eye-opening year

“Playing under pressure doesn’t win you matches — it simply ruins performance. I know I have to win games. That’s all that will make people happy,” Nehwal says. “But If I set out trying to prove a point to everyone, I’ll just put more pressure on myself. Last year was an eye-opener.”

Like the Potter volume, which is book-marked around the same page for many months and never seems to move on, the other thing annoying her is leading in third games and then spoiling it all by rushing to close out matches.

“I’ve played a few top-10 players in the last one year. And in most close matches, I’ve played negative in the end, trying to hurry it up. It was clearly lack of experience against the biggies. I don’t want to repeat those mistakes — just stay relaxed,” she stresses.

Practicing for the last one week in Hyderabad after returning from the Swiss Open, the world number 27 is keen on leaving an impression on her adopted city, where she based herself to rise to national dominance.

She hasn’t notched any big wins here, though. “I played just the 2005 ABC and lost in the pre-quarters — not much to show,” she says. The women’s event boasts of a strong field, with world Nos 1, 3 and 4 expected. “I promise I’ll put up a good fight. But can’t say which round I’ll reach,” Nehwal says, talking of her chances in what will be India’s grandest badminton extravaganza.

The biggest home-crowds that Nehwal has played in front of were at the 2006 November Asian satellite event in Mumbai — a title that she won.

Home support

“The home support will make me want to give it more than my 100 per cent, but it won’t add to the pressure,” she says. Opponents bent on unnerving her, she jokes, are bad enough. First up for Nehwal is Japanese Yu Hirayama — 7 places above her. They have each beaten the other once before.

The Indian Open is an important event leading up the Olympics, and Nehwal will make the cut if she stays in the top-30 till April 30. But refusing to psyche herself with the thought of playing in Beijing’s showpiece event, magnified many times over by its cult status in China, Nehwal says she will aim towards a fighting-fit body and a calm mind in the build-up.

“It’s some time away, and I don’t want to scare myself,” she says.

The reversals of the past one year may seem to have dented that, but Nehwal maintains that when she lands on the court, the courage is intact. Her net-play, she admits, needs much work, and even the half-smash ought to yield a higher percentage of points.

“It takes time for every player to cope with the second year when opponents have figured you out. I can only keep working on it non-stop. It’ll pay one day,” she says. Voldemort’s end can wait till after August, or beyond.