Foreigners board new-look shuttle

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Women’s singles is also throwing up a variety of playing styles, quite a departure from only half a decade ago when there were just the two patterns: the Chinese and countering-the-Chinese method.

“It reminds me of men’s singles of 80’s,” says Nehwal’s coach Vimal Kumar, who is glad that the cold calculation of the bipolar world of badminton, and the resultant narrative, has been scythed through and a champion could emerge from more than one corner of the world. “They had a lot of different styles and variety, the Chinese, Indonesians, Prakash Padukone and Morten Frost.”

Women’s singles at this moment in history boasts of the Chinese keen on resurgence, the two Indians Nehwal and Sindhu who make up for pickled traditions of shuttle’s artistry through spunk, the Japanese and Koreans who are close to duplicating the Chinese system with a whole bunch of youngsters in the wings, as well as the two outrageously talented girls Intanon Ratchanok and Tai Tzu Ying, and finally the Andalusian shuttler Carolina Marin whose scorching form this year equals the red of the flamenco dancer.

The Japanese and Koreans have built workaholic games on the base of solid defense, retrieving, no negatives and endless running, while the rest are adding unprecedented layers of deception to their game. “The additions to deception is the most noticeable change from few years ago,” says P Gopichand, who believes that coaches and shuttlers are adding newer mysteries and tricks to the wrist work, making it difficult for the Chinese to straitjacket the sport into a strength-stamina-smash-fest. Taipei’s Tai Tzu and Thai Ratchanok are going deeper into the alchemy of the touch-game.

The Chinese haven’t disappeared altogether, but are feeling the heat as they desperately search for answers to a multi pronged assault of game styles. “In the past it was between Chinese and former Chinese. Then there were times where only two shuttlers could trouble the Chinese — like Mia Audina and Camilla Martin. But it’s the first time where Chinese are sent packing in major events like Worlds or All England by girls from different countries,” says Raphael Sachetat, who runs the premier badminton photography agency and has watched the monotony of one country’s dominance shatter.

Sachetat reckons the Chinese will come back stronger but is convinced competition will be more balanced.
Unlike the men and their box games and jump smashes that make rallies short and snappy, women have played all-court games and are increasingly exploiting every inch of the court – playing the lines, corners in longer rallies, all at an astounding 160-190 bpm pulse.

They are also gritty, masking the effort with normal breathing facades as matches touch the two-hour mark.

While Asians have a stranglehold over shuttle, the Europeans are striking back and none as strongly as the Spaniards. “Europe is catching up in their youth programs, so it starts to pay. All her compatriots believe they can perform and they showed it when they won the European Junior team championships recently,” Frenchman Sachetat says, adding that it’s adding to shuttle’s vivid profile.

The end of the Chinese sway – though the worlds will be a better reflection – doesn’t necessarily mean everyone’s breathing easy. “Everybody’s coming to the same level, the gap’s closing, no one’s dominant. Saina is most consistent. But now it’s tough in a different way. You have to prepare for 3-4 types of games,” former international Aparna Popat says. It also means players start digging in their heels from much before the finals weekend. “Now the tough rounds will start from early on. It’s physically, mentally tougher.”

The quarters lineup at Jakarta could read like this: world champ Marin vs Shixian, Olympic champ Xuerui vs former Asian champ Sun Ji Hyun (top Korean), former World champ Ratchanok vs Super Series Finals winner Tai Tzu and London silver, bronze medallists Yihan vs Saina.

Xuerui will need to get past Sindhu in pre-quarters, not the easiest of passages into the Last 8.

“Chinese dominance has eroded, but everyone’s playing so much that factors like motivation, exhaustion, infjuries need to be factored in,” Gopichand says.

Even at their fittest, after a good month-long prep break, ask badminton watchers who looks like a favourite. “It could be any of the top seven, if not the eighth, ninth or tenth one!” Popat ends.

Watch out for: The Magnificent Seven

Saina Nehwal (India, 2)

Strong and the most consistent player over the last five years, the Indian 25-year-old notched up an important feat reaching World No. 1 this year. Predominantly a runner, Nehwal is at her best in long matches, where her sheer stubbornness gives her an edge over most other rivals. Not the most talented or blessed with strokes, nor very deceptive, she has the finishing smash nevertheless and ability to keep a low count of errors. Grittiest even as the intensity glowers from her face, Nehwal can bully her way out of situations but can be vulnerable against truly deceptive players whose shots are hard to read and who can keep pace with her. She’s never been an overwhelming favourite, but she can never be ruled out of any title race. The shoulder was just a niggle, she insists.

STYLE: Nehwal relies heavily on her fitness and has always done well after a long break spent in preparations, recently winning in several 16-20 down final set situations.

STAT: The Chinese are her big roadblocks – (2-9 against Yihan and Xuerui not very flattering). All the non-Chinese are surmountable.

Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei, 4)

Badminton’s Trick or treat girl who scares everyone on the circuit with her magical wristy artistry which is a treat to watch for everyone, save her tricked opponents. Just 21, her creativity on court bubbles and often brims over – at times, she overdoes the deception and plays more strokes than are required even when winning. Flirting with risk, she can pack it all into one match – spectacular, erratic, world beating and downright silly, but she’s yet to be seen finishing the job by gritting it out when trailing in a crunch match. Yet, she’s begun challenging the Chinese oftener, and is one of Saina Nehwal’s least favourite opponents to come up against.

STYLE: Plays freely, seems like she’s fooling around on court and sticks her tongue out when she botches a point.

STAT: Has never beaten Olympic champ Xuerui Li in ten matches.

Carolina Marin (Spain, 1)

Badminton’s girl matador, known for her furious fighting spirit and pace. She brought Spain into shuttle’s frame out of nowhere, armed with her left-handed strokes. Her southpaw advantage triples because she is tall, works up sharp unconventional angles at the net and moves fluidly on court. Known for her entertaining rearguard fights (Indians will remember the All England final where she leapt back into contention from a set down) the Huelva girl, 23 years old, likes dictating points rather than merely controlling them, picked the Worlds title last year and is known to strike form when it matters.

STYLE: Feisty and risk-loving, she’s barely bothered by umpire warnings and is known to challenge line calls at the oddest of times.

STAT: She’s lost to Saina Nehwal (1-3), Li Xuerui (2-3) and Ratchanok (0-4) more than she’s won.

Yihan Wang (China, 6)

More Super Series titles on the circuit than anyone else, but no Olympic gold makes Yihan perennially gluttonous for top titles. Especially brutal in her decimation of Saina Nehwal, the tall Chinese combines a powerful game, steep strokes using her wide reach with an intent to attack that had bulldozed Nehwal out of the Olympics semis. Should both clear early rounds, a quarters clash is imminent. Nehwal earned her first reversal against Yihan at the All England playing a tactical counter game, but the Chinese won at Taipei recently. A back injury has made her look beatable, though.

STYLE: Besides her lethal smashes, Yihan also looms dangerously at the net and has enviable deception from mid-court.

STAT: Tai Tzu (3-2) and Carolina (2-2) have the most success against Yihan, pointing at her vulnerability against wrist deception.

Intanon Ratchanok (Thailand, 5)

Ratchanok, they say, can play with time. She slows it down and rustle up the pace suddenly with her rallies on court. She never looks fazed by pressure. She is so subtle in her deception (sedated, simplified version of Tai Tzu’s trickery) that it’s easy to miss her wrist work completely from courtside. Her talent defined by clean strokes is breathtaking when she plays the cross-court drops. She can be softly aggressive, absorbing pressure with no outward signs of being vexed. She has been injury-prone, but revels in being written off only to come back.

STYLE: Ratchanok’s body language is as deceptive as her strokes: she can give the impression of being tired, drooping her shoulders and hit top gear the very next instant.

STAT: Though she reads deception as well as she dishes out, Ratchanok wilts against aggressive play: Nehwal (3-6), Xuerui (3-7), Yihan (0-10).

Xuerui Li (China, 3)

What separates her from the other Chinese, all strong, powerful and fit, is her patience in biding her time, and launching a riposte. After the London Olympics gold, Xuerui has lost some big finals, visibly outwitted by the chasing pack, but the likes of Ratchanok and Marin have had to play out of their skins in taming her. Lacklustre the whole year owing to injuries, she’s struck some form recently. Some strokes are sublime, and she’s not shy of the retrieving slugfests, but she can be pushed back. She will fear running into PV Sindhu (in pre-QFs) who revels in chomping away at the Chinese at Worlds.

STYLE: Having lost the last two World titles, the Chinese will be desperate to make amends, and Xuerui loves that kind of pressure. Also, she has the game to respond to the challenge.

STAT: 3-2 against Carolina Marin, who is frenziedly snapping at Chinese heels.

PV Sindhu (India, 11)

Nothing in her year-round performance on the regular circuit adds upto two World Championships bronze medals in the last two editions, but that’s exactly Sindhu’s haul making her a dark horse at the event. She puts through a lot of winners through her steep shots and can reach shuttles quickly. Big smash, bigger power, far more deception than she’s credited to possess, Sindhu is still evolving a style of her own. Having not won too many titles, the Indian teen is vulnerable against older, wilier opponents who can tire her out. A four-month injury layoff might not cast a straight shadow on her ambitions.

STYLE: The mental strength’s lacking but no one will mind that her flash-in-the-pans come regularly at the Worlds.

STAT: Sindhu is 6-8 against the top three Chinese while Saina Nehwal is 10-25. Fewer scars. More fearless.