PV Sindhu Is Emotional After Becoming First Indian To Win Japan Open
TOKYO-Ace Indian shuttler and two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu became emotional after ending her 19-month title drought by winning her maiden Japan Open crown, saying years of perseverance, self-belief and the support of her family and coaching team had finally paid off.
Sindhu defeated Japan’s four-time champion Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in the final at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium to clinch her first BWF World Tour title since December 2023 and become the first Indian to win the prestigious tournament.
“I had tears in my eyes because it was very important for me to win. I was working really hard on myself and kept believing that I can do it. Even though a lot of people were like ‘What’s happening? Is it done?’, I believed in myself, and I would like to thank my family, coaches and the support staff; both sets of families; my parents and my in-laws; and, of course, my husband is always there even at my lowest. People around me have guided me really well, I’m really thankful,” Sindhu told the media after the match.
Sindhu admitted ending the 19-month wait for another title had been on her mind heading into the tournament.
“Very very happy, just out of words. It was 19 months since the time I had won and this one was very important for me. Coming to the final is one thing, but to win and stand on the podium with that gold is a different thing altogether. This gives me a lot of confidence,” she added.
Reflecting on the final, Sindhu said staying composed was crucial against one of the world’s top players despite holding the advantage for long periods.
“The last point was out and I had to take a judgement; I had to challenge that. I knew it was out but until the last moment, you never know what will happen. You cannot take it easy. Even though I was leading in the second game, I was making mistakes, smashes were going out. So, it was important for me to stay calm and focus on each point. There were games I was winning, there were games that went the other way as well. It was important for me to stay positive until the end,” she said.
Sindhu also credited her coach for helping her remain calm when unforced errors began creeping into her game during the closing stages of the second game.
“Irrespective of the semis, or finals, or Round 1 or 2, it’s important to stay calm. Sometimes when you’re leading, you want to make sure you end the rallies quicker, and you tend to make simple and unforced errors, which did happen in the second game. But my coach said ‘It’s ok, focus on the next point.’ That made the difference.”
The former world champion said one of her biggest tactical adjustments has been to play to her attacking strengths while cutting down on avoidable errors.
“My strength is attack and since I’m moving well and attacking good, I need to make sure I stop those unforced errors. Not making too many unforced errors changes the game. Rallies go long,” Sindhu said.
With the World Championships less than a month away, Sindhu said the Japan Open title has given her a timely confidence boost. (IANS)
