Young sensation PV Sindhu has been working very hard on her game lately because she has her eyes firm on the India Open which starts in the Capital on the 1st of April. She expects tough competition right from the word go as she faces Shixian Wang in the opener. The world championships bronze medallist spoke to Abhishek Purohit
What are your expectations from the upcoming Yonex Sunrise India OpenIJ
The draw is a tough one as I will be facing world number 2 Shixian Wang. I have been preparing well for this tournament. Almost all the top players will be playing here. So it will not be easy. But I am feeling good about my game. The tournament is in Delhi and hopefully the crowd support will help my game. I had played really well in the Swiss Open and missed out on playing the final by a single point margin. In the previous India Open, I had reached semifinals. I think with the same tempo, I can go further.
As you said you’ll be facing All England champion Shixian Wang but you have defeated her thrice. Will it be an advantage for youIJ
I have defeated her thrice in same number of matches and I am hoping that in this tournament, I will go 4-0 up against her. Home court will be an advantage. Winning thrice against her gives me confidence. Especially after beating her in the Swiss Open two weeks back, I am hoping to do well again. But it won’t be easy as the Chinese keep coming at you. They analyse our game and work on our mistakes to beat us. So I need to be ready. If I will do it, I might meet Sayaka Takaahashi of Japan.
How high do you think would be the level of competition for the tournamentIJ
You can’t judge any player on the seedings. All the players are doing well, even the junior are coming through well. For each and every player we have to change the game accordingly. I believe whosever plays well and gives a 100 per cent on that day would come out as the winner.
You have taken some giant steps for a young player, which includes being in the top 10 and staying there, in last one year. How do you see yourself as a player as compared to last yearIJ
Comparatively I have improved a lot since last year. last year, I won world championships bronze and two Gold Grand Prixs. I started this year with a runners-up finish at Syed Modi Gold Prix and that was also a good result for me. I think I have improved a lot game-wise and also on the physical fitness front. I think I have a long way to go and it is just the beginning for me. Right now I am putting more stress on the defence part and I think it is alright now.
Following your bronze medal at the world championships, things didn’t go your way. You crashed out of first rounds in many tournaments. Where were you erringIJ
After the world championships, I was losing in the first rounds and it was really depressing. I remember it happened in Japan and in the All England championships. But, ups and downs are always there in the life of a sportsperson. During tough times, it is necessary for one to train hard and work on basics. I also practiced hard and worked on my flaws and negatives to put myself in a position from where I don’t repeat those mistakes.
Apart from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) tournaments, this year also has Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. How do you see those challengesIJ
I will be playing at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games for the first time. These are also important tournaments and I am excited about them. I have to work hard for it as a lot of top players would want to do well in these tournaments. This year we have a tough schedule. After the Indian Open, I will play the Singapore Open and the Thomas and Uber Cup before the CWG. So I will have to work hard and manage the workload properly.
Considering the busy schedule, how do you choose as to which tournaments to play and which ones to leaveIJ
My coach (Pulella Gopichand) decides that for me. Playing all tournaments doesn’t always help. Training is equally important for development part. So, my coach takes all those decisions for me.
How many hours do you trainIJ
My training starts from 4.30 am. I train for three sessions of 90 minutes till noon and again couple of hours in the evening.