S.Kannan in Paris
It was a breeze for PV Sindhu as she cruised into the round of 16 of the women’s badminton singles at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, crushing Estonia’s Kristin Kuuba 21-5, 21-10.
The air conditioning inside the arena was not cool enough, as Sindhu turned on the heat with smart smashes, retrievals, and shots aimed at her opponent’s body. For those who have seen Sindhu in three different editions of the Olympics – Rio, Tokyo and now Paris – her current avatar looks fitter and stronger.
Sindhu has dealt with one issue all along in her career, excessive sweating. Even on Wednesday, in front of a raucous crowd, she had to keep wiping the sweat away. Yet, there was plenty of finesse in her game.
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Badminton fans know that using her reach, she can jump even higher and produce that smash. It was deadly and the shuttle kept whizzing past Kuuba. The new additions are there to see in Sindhu’s game, the half-smash and how she controls the pattern of play from the backcourt and mid-court.
Kuuba has obviously not played much at this level or with such high intensity. Sindhu did not slow down at all. With former All England champion Prakash Padukone there on the sidelines, he was able to pass on a few tips. One new facet is that Sindhu appears to have learnt the art of deception from Padukone. It is very important when she has to break her opponent if she is rushing to the net.
For all those praying Sindhu wins a third medal in this Olympic campaign, her win was reassuring. Her campaign is alive and roaring, with fitness levels really high. That Sindhu smiled as she was packing her racquet bag was a good sight, with India flags fluttering in the stands behind her.
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