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This has truly been the match of the season. The seasoned Saina was up against the vibrant Sindhu. On one side, the experience of the whole world, but on the other, the fighting spirit of the younger generation. Sindhu was seen putting all out efforts with total devotion and dedication, but was out-shined.
Saina has got a lot of exposure. Gradually, she has learnt to play against players across Asia. Whether Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, China – she has conquered them all. So, she knows the distinct style, the strength and weaknesses of most of the opponents. She has also had a chance to play against players from Germany, Denmark and England. She has got a tremendous experience of various tournaments.
Saina is just 23 years of age and has already accomplished a bronze in London Olympics, a bronze in Asian Games 2010 as well as gold in Commonwealth games 2010. By virtue of her experience, she is able to quickly chalk out the strategy required against any opponent.
On the other hand, PV Sindhu has got a bronze in World Badminton Championship 2013. Earlier, she had also won the Malaysian Open Gold Grand Prix this year. She had reached a career high ranking of 11th in May 2013. Pullela Gopichand recently said that Sindhu has a never-say-die spirit, which makes her a born fighter. The coach also appreciated that she has her feet firmly on the ground. She handles pressure well and plays her natural game.
Even before the start of match, the difference was clearly visible. Saina was seen talking to her teammates comfortably, whereas Sindhu was shying away from the camera. P Chidambaram, Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore and Nagarjuna were present to grace the occasion.
In the first set, there were a few anxious moments, which led to a 2-0 for Saina. But later, Sindhu began putting everything into it, taking a 7-3 lead.
After a long rally, Sindhu led 13-9. Deceptive strokes by Sindhu were really paying off. Commentators were saying that Sindhu has a wide variety of strokes. Just then, Saina hit back and smashed at 214km/h. It was becoming a clash of the titans. Eventually, Saina killed off the points, not indulging in long rallies. This strategy worked and she took the first set 21-19.
The crowd was clearly in favour of Saina, who started to dominate at the beginning of the second set. She raced to a 7-4 lead in no time. Soon, Sindhu started misjudging line calls and also played some false strokes. It seemed as if Sindhu lost focus and could not execute her strategy. Saina kept gaining confidence and eventually, the experience of Saina came through and she took the match 21-19 and 21-8.
Saina may have won the game but Sindhu won the hearts. What an advert for badminton. Hats off!
