India Open: Sindhu looks at consistency, introspection ahead of packed season

Top seed PV Sindhu got off to a roaring start in the India Open by beating Sri Krishna Priya Kudravalli 21-5, 21-16 in the first round on Tuesday.

The win gave the Indian badminton ace a morale boost of starting a new tournament and a new season on a high. However, it is just the start of a long and an important year for Sindhu and Indian badminton.

Speaking to journalists after the match, the Hyderabadi shuttler said it was important to start on a positive note.

"I played against her a long time back. I didn't take it easy today. I wanted to stay in the lead and finish it off. The first match of the tournament is always important. We are playing for the first time in that stadium, the first day, we have to get used to the court and the strokes. I went with the flow, maintained the lead and finished it off," she said.

Sindhu looks at improvements ahead of packed season

Ace players always introspect a lot and Sindhu has an able team with her to help her iron out flaws. They help her prepare master strategies over and over again, while also overlooking her fitness.

The commencement of a shorter Olympic cycle, along with a packed 2022 season which includes the World Championships, the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, means players have to work extra hard to be ready.

Speaking about how she plans to approach the new season, the ace badminton player said:

"I need to tune in a lot more. I need to learn to have new weapons. Everyone will read your game sometime or the other. It is important for me to change my game style every single time and strategize accordingly. It is important to stay fit, give 100% always when I step out to play and be injury free."

Elaborating on her areas of focus and improvement, Sindhu said these things change with every player and with every tournament.

"It (my strategies and weapons) change with every player. Sometimes, one just needs to understand the game. Everyone knows my strength is to attack and opponents won't give me space to attack. So, it is important for me to play a good defensive game also. These are a few things where I have to tune into it and make it perfect this season," the top-ranked Indian badminton player added.

Speaking on the next big badminton talent from India, Sindhu said the youngsters have a long way to go before they can make a mark on the international circuit.

'Well, there's definitely a lot to be worked on. The younger players have to improve a lot with respect to their skill and be much stronger with respect to their physical fitness. To play at a higher level, these should be in focus for the youngsters," she said.