Women’s game so competitive, there’s little margin for error

I am conscious of the fact that some people aren’t too thrilled with my getting such a prestigious award at such a young age. All I can say is that we are the world’s largest democracy and everyone has a right to his or her opinion.

My first-ever outing at the Tier II Gaz de France tournament in Paris was a mixed experience. It was great to beat the World no. 16 in the first round. Nothing gives you more thrill than a straight-set triumph over a fancied opponent. I think I was fairly consistent in my serve and I thoroughly enjoyed myself slugging it out in a power-packed contest against the seasoned Italian.

I would like to emphasise once again that the women’s game is much more competitive today than what it was a few years ago. You see young, exciting talent coming up almost every other day. Apart from the top 5 or 10 players, there is little to choose among the top 100, and a couple of crucial points can make all the difference.

This hs made women’s tennis very exciting. Not too many years ago, the top four or five players could walk into the quarter-finals or semis at the cost of a few games and rarely dropped a set. That has all changed today and it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict the winners of matches even in the earlier stages of a major or minor tourney.

That first-round win was followed by disappointment in the second in my rematch against Tatiana Golovin. I had my chances in the first set but I failed to capitalize on them. I was up 4-2 and missed two break points that could have given me a 5-2 lead. I was up 40-0 on my serve in the next game, but I guess a couple of close calls went against me and I was broken to bring the set back on serve.

At this level of the sport, a player pays for all the chances that he or she fails to grab, and this match was no exception. To put it simply, I wasn’t given an opportunity to get back into the game. Though my first-round win was my third over a player ranked in the top 20, I think it is important for people to realize that I still need to tighten up my game a lot more before I can consistently create such upsets.

I have made a few changes in my game under the guidance of a man whose knowledge or commitment cannot be questioned but it will take some time for my efforts to translate into consistent results.

(PMG/Globosport)