"Start receiving close to the net" - How coach's vital advice turned the tide for Paris-bound Sreeja Akula in WTT Feeder II Beirut 2024 final

Sreeja Akula is on fire after winning her second WTT title in Beirut on March 24. The 25-year-old defeated Sarah De Nutte of Luxembourg in the title clash of the WTT Feeder Beirut II after overcoming top-seed Suh Hyo Won of South Korea in the semi-finals.

Having qualified for the Olympic Games, Sreeja is all set to fine-tune her preparations ahead of Paris 2024 with a series of training camps and tournaments lined up.

Before leaving for a 10-day camp in Chinese Taipei, the star paddler told Sportskeeda during an exclusive interview that a vital piece of advice from her coach Somnath Ghosh proved invaluable in the Beirut final.

Despite being ranked lower than Sreeja, Luxembourgian Olympian Sarah De Nutte held the upper hand early in the all-important final of the WTT Feeder II Beirut.

After veering to an 8-1 lead, the 2021 doubles World Table Tennis Championship bronze medalist clinched the opening set 11-6 even as Sreeja appeared to struggle in the face of some consistent aggression from her opponent.

During the break after the first set, coach Somnath Ghosh advised Sreeja to try and receive the ball closer to the net to offset De Nutte's strategy. The ploy worked partially in the second set helping the Indian paddler to win with a narrow 12-10 margin before Sreeja came into her own in the crucial third set coasting to an 11-5 win after taking the lead early.

"In the first set, Sarah started off really well. She was very aggressive. I played her in 2022 and back then she played completely differently. This time the way she started was very aggressive, the first ball was very aggressive," Sreeja revealed.

"When I had a break after the first set, my coach told me to start receiving close to the net. He also asked me to take my chances to attack. I tried it out in the second set. Initially, the ploy did not work that well. My receiving was going high but then gradually I got used to her serve," she added.

Sarah De Nutte's "one-shot game" failed to pay dividends at the Al Kawthar Secondary School as Sreeja Akula forced her opponent into rallies following which the 31-year-old lost momentum.

Ghosh also urged his protege to attack the ball first which Sreeja did while playing the ball to the centre of the table en route to an 11-9 win in the fourth set.

"I also started receiving the ball closer to the net and I started to attack first. That really helped, along with the fact that she was playing a one-shot game. If that one shot went well it was fine, but she was not able to keep up the rallies that well," Sreeja Akula explained.

"My coach told me, even if she hits one ball just try to block the ball, and try to get into a rally so I can get the upper hand. I was just trying to return the ball whenever she attacked and when I attacked I was trying to play more to her center. That advice from my coach also helped me a lot," the 2022 Commonwealth Games mixed doubles champion said.

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"My first WTT win in Texas was more special" - Sreeja Akula

Sreeja Akula and Sharath Kamal in action at the Commonwealth Games

Sreeja Akula who clinched her maiden international title at the WTT Feeder Corpus Christi 2024 back in January continues to cherish the memorable moment.

Despite the exuberance of the Beirut triumph, Sreeja who has now risen to World No. 40 in the ITTF rankings stressed that the win in Texas will always be special.

"Both WTT wins were satisfying and important for me but the first one (in Texas) was special. That was my first international title so the first one was very special for me," she added.

Sreeja's admiration and regard for mentor Somnath Ghosh rings loud and clear throughout the conversation as she continues to make an impassioned plea for her coach's accreditation for the Paris Olympics.

"I am trying very hard to get the accreditation for my coach for the Olympic Games," she declared before adding that Ghosh will be alongside her in Chinese Taipei.

"My coach and physio will be there (in the Chinese Taipei club) to guide me," disclosed Sreeja Akula who has a busy session ahead of her.

After wrapping up the training stint in Chinese Taipei Sreeja Akula will head to Macau for the ITTF World Cup which begins on April 15. The Saudi Smash 2024 then follows before a Hyderabad-based preparatory session leading into the Paris Games.