Despite defeat in US Open badminton final, Tanvi Sharma shows enough promise of carrying Sindhu-Saina legacy

The US Open finalist, still just 16, who went down 11-21, 21-16, 21-10 to 34-year-old Beiwen Zhang, made an instant impression over a successful week, and says she’s simply happy to be compared to all these super-achieving shuttlers. “Of course, I feel good to be compared to them, but everyone has a distinct style. I hope I can match them some day, but I have my own style,” she says.

What is the Tanvi Sharma style?

“Deception in smashes.”

At the Council Bluffs arena, a massive stadium that triggered nervousness in her as she reached the courts for the final, Sharma strung together four days of fearless hitting and a clean, sharp game before the big stage made her error-prone.

But there was no denying the sheer breadth of talent in her shots. “Yes, I have good strokes, slices and half-smashes. But can improve her endurance and cut down on the unforced errors,” she says. “It was such a big stadium and a Super 300 final, so I got a bit nervous. In the second game, I played many rallies after 13-all, but the third ended up tough.”

Zhang needed to only dip into her experience but like others, much older to Sharma, the American too had noticed how rattling Sharma’s attack and decoys can be.

Room for improvement

The Indian has good reflex defence, some exceptional footwork, but needs to work her way into rallies before she can unfurl her magic tricks. “At the highest level, sharpness and endurance is at a different level.”

Still, the imprint of Sindhu’s game is thickly slathered on Indian women singles DNAs. “Her aggression on court and sliced smashes,” says the Punjabi from Hoshiarpur.

Moving to Guwahati’s High Performance Centre was tough initially, but with enthusiastic coach Park Tae-sang, Sharma has begun enjoying being immersed in learning new strokes.

“I miss home, but I enjoy training,” says the teenager, who loves learning courtcraft.

At the last Uber Cup, Sharma went up against World No.2 Wang Zhi Yi of China, and though she lost quite easily, she picked yet another lesson from the opponent.

“Power is one thing, but sharpness of strokes and how she stayed mentally strong on court,” she says of a quality that hasn’t quite manifested itself in an Indian since Saina. “I’m usually calm even against big names, but sometimes nerves strike,” she concedes, though her game betrays no fear of reputation.

Coach Park reckons Sunday’s loss was directly due to tiredness and depleted endurance, though that’s going to matter the most.

“My net game is a little weak but I’m working on it. And I find training in the gym very challenging,” Sharma says of two metrics that need shoring up – strength and stamina.

Park’s geeing-up mantra is the same as the one that worked for Sindhu: “I just say, Tanvi Sharma, it’s OK… chalo aaraam se.”

Music and chanting prayers help her stay calm. But one realises who is carrying this burden of the Saina-Sindhu-size expectations when one asks her what her favourite books to read are.

“I love reading school textbooks. English, of course. But I love Maths also,” she informs.

Maybe the comparisons can wait a few years, though Sharma keeps winning this consistently, the wait might be deceptively shorter.

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