Sindhu sizzles in Macau

macau, november 30
After successfully defending her title at the Macau Open on Sunday, India’s teen sensation PV Sindhu said she was happy to win the title, her first this year, and end the season on a high. Two-time World Championship bronze medallist Sindhu outplayed Kim Hyo Min of Korea 21-12 21-17 in the summit clash that lasted 45 minutes at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion.
“It was a good win. She played really well. I knew it won’t be easy. She had beaten some good players coming into the finals. The scoreline might say it was a straight-games win but it was tough. I am happy I could play my game and am happy with my performance,” said Sindhu.
“It has been a good year for me. I beat some very good players and won some important medals in big events such as the World Championship and the Asian Games. I will look to work harder and do better next year,” she said.
Talking about the losses this year, Sindhu said: “There are some defeats which always bother you, like the loss at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. At Glasgow, gold medal was for the taking but I could not do it.
“At the Asian Games, too, I could have won but I guess that is part and parcel of the game. Good thing is that I came back to do well at the World Championship,” she added.
Chief national coach Pullela Gopichand also heaped praise on Sindhu for defending her title, saying it was her consistency which helped her to do well this season.
“It is a good win for Sindhu. She played really well. I think she has been very consistent throughout the year. She beat some good players such as Michelle Li and Busanan (Ongbumrungpan) getting into the finals. The Korean also beat Sun Yu to get into final. More importantly what she showed on court was good. She was sharp,” said Gopichand.
“We have seen her play in Korea. We knew she is good. She had beaten some good players like (Nichaon) Jindapon. It was a tough match. Both the players played brilliantly,” he said.
Sindhu scripted some historic moments for Indian badminton this year as she became the first Indian to win two back-to-back medals in the World Badminton Championships. She also won bronze medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and a team bronze the Asian Games at Incheon.
The 19-year-old also won a team bronze at the Uber Cup, which was hosted by India for the first time. Gopichand said despite the losses Sindhu has shown that she could beat the top Chinese players.
“Overall, it has been a hectic year with lots of big events; she has shown that she could beat the Wang Shixians and Wang Yihans. Every 2-3 months, she had had good results this year,” he said.
Gopichand said it had been the best year for Indian badminton. “Overall, it has been the best year for Indian badminton. The Uber Cup and Asian Games medals have been the first ever, and these are really big and it shows our strength,” he said. “And then Srikanth beating Lin Dan... that is also a great performance,” Gopichand said. — PTI