Joshna makes it two in a row

The win was sweeter since the final was something of a grudge match 8212; she had beaten her opponent and local favourite Low Wee Wern for her first title last week. On Friday she won 11-8, 11-7, 11-6. 8220;Yeah, it feels great to win. It does give a lot more confidence in one8217;s ability,8221; she told The Indian Express soon after her victory. The win is also expected to push Joshna into the top-30 in the world.

For years, Joshna was an unfulfilled potential. After that initial triumph three years back, she kept performing at the junior level, but the senior tour was a different ball game altogether. And, despite being the first Indian sportsperson to be supported by the Mittals8217; Champions Trust, she lost her way. 8220;I had a lot of opportunities to win events before, but I kept losing in the semis and the finals. But this time, I thought enough was enough, I had enough of losing finals,8221; she admits.

Attitude change
And she realises what kept her from achieving success earlier. 8220;I was doing well in the juniors, but unfortunately, I carried on my attitude from that level to the senior level. But while you can get away with a lot of things at the junior level, you can8217;t do that on the main tour. The players were much stronger, fitter, more talented and working much harder than I was. It took me a while to realise this,8221; she adds.

That8217;s something her father Anjan Chinappa agrees with. 8220;There was a slack in her game for over a year, but then she matured enough to realise that it was the sport that was attracting the glamour, and not the other way round. Since the beginning of this year, she has become a lot more disciplined, focused on the game and that shows in her performance,8221; he says.

She concentrates much more on her fitness now and has gained confidence. 8220;My wins in the recent weeks against higher-ranked opponents has given me the confidence that I can be up there with them. Just because they8217;re ranked higher or have won more titles, it doesn8217;t mean I can8217;t beat them,8221; she says.

Attitude apart, there is no doubt that her patch-up with the Squash Racquets Federation of India SRFI after years of run-ins also played a major role in her development. 8220;It8217;s not that it has had a huge impact on my game. But yes, now I get more support from the coaches at the ICL academy in Chennai, I can freely use the courts there and it is no longer a struggle to play for my country,8221; Joshna admits.

She also credits South African psychologist Tim Harkness for her mental toughness. 8220;Though not too many things affect me, but working with him earlier this year helped me immensely. He taught me a lot and that has stayed with me,8221; she says.

The time she spends at Malcolm Willstrop8217;s academy in England has also helped. 8220;He has made a lot of technical corrections on court for me, especially in the last couple of months. I am planning to travel to England more often now,8221; she says.

With the World Doubles Championships coming up next month, Joshna is looking forward to carrying on the good form at home. And, of course, making more history.