Three weeks after losing a one-for-the-ages game in the World Championships final to Nozomi Okuhara, P.V. Sindhu squared the ledger in the title clash of the Korean Open Super Series. It proved not only her prowess with the badminton racquet, but also her strength of mind that she could come out at the right end of another titanic struggle. In going 4-4 in her career, head-to-head, she ensured the World Championship result didn’t turn into a bugbear for her.
But there is more to Sindhu’s triumph in Seoul than just pure skill and fighting spirit. At the highest level, a player has to keep learning from setbacks to get better. From compelling Okuhara to play on her terms of pace and power, to resisting the urge to manically go hard at the second set and instead conserving her energies for the decider, Sindhu proved to be a quick learner.
But in not allowing any opponent to become a consistent source of trouble, Sindhu is ensuring that she’s fighting for every big honour. Through her titanic battles, she’s taking Indians and global fans on a dizzy ride of the highest quality badminton — just look at the ecstatic images of spectators, in Rio, Glasgow, Seoul. While leading the golden age of Indian badminton, Sindhu is also proud participant of some of the most iconic face-offs of international badminton’s women’s singles.
