Anilava Chatterjee, Tokyo: Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu on Thursday said she is not worried about her opponents. The reigning world champion cruised into the women’s singles quarterfinals after beating Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt in straight games at the Tokyo Olympics badminton event on Thursday. The 26 year old will next face No 4 seed Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi for a place in the semi finals.
“I think it’s not going to be easy for her too. (Yamaguchi) May be I will look at her match and prepare for tomorrow. What is important for me is to go back and recover well and come back strongly tomorrow,” said Sindhu to the reporters after her match in Tokyo.
The 26-year-old Indian notched up a 21-15 21-13 win over 13th seed Blichfeldt in a 41-minute match. Talking about her match against Blichfeldt, Sindhu said, “Yeah, I started off well and in the first set and around 16 I gave a couple of points . I was rushing with my defence and my coach was continuously telling me that you were playing in the wrong way. I realized that after two three points and immediately I changed. I completed the first game. The second game was pretty much fine as I was maintaining the lead and I was under control. The first game was very important because you know even though you are leading she is not going to give up. The last time when I met her at the Swiss I was leading but she came back. I was very well aware of that and I kept my focus and kept going.”
Compared to the first couple of matches it has been a gradual progression of form for the Rio Olympics silver medalist. On being asked whether she feels the same too, Sindhu said, “Yes, definitely it was also because of the game style and also the way the rallies that happen. Compared to the first round against my Isareli opponent there was not much rallies. Yesterday there was a bit but not very intense. And today as you have seen it was pretty much intense in the first game. So we know that we have that game in our hands but it’s just that when to play what is very important. Today I applied that and I am happy about it.”
Sindhu’s strategy against Mia was to keep the length very short and not allow her to attack.
“I told yesterday that she is an aggressive player. Her attack is really good and at time I was rushing in my defence. It was very important for me to not let her attack as you know she is really good at that. That’s how I strategized my game against her. It worked out well,” Sindhu said.
The shuttler from Hyderabad had an upper hand against Mia going into the pre quarter final clash. She had a 4-1 win ratio against Blichfeldt. The last time they met, it was the Indian who lost.
“The last time I lost against her in Thailand so it was important how you are playing on that day. Strategically I have seen her matches. Even though you are leading you cannot relax. After winning the first game I was almost match point leading. There two three points went away. Today I was focusing from the first point. Even when she was coming back in the first game I was not that nervous. Else I would have continuously given her point. Instead I kept my focus. When you lose points you tend to get tensed. I didn’t let that happen. My coach was constantly guiding me and that really helped,” signed off Sindhu