Sindhu never ever done well in Japan Open. I think her best was reaching Semifinals. That played in my mind from the beginning. Sindhu , though considered to be big tournament player, after seeing the draw, somewhere in my mind , there was a fear that she should not meet Tai in the semis. Similarly, Tai would have thought when she saw the draw that she had to play Ratchanok in Quarters. Once she defeated her, she must be very happy that she has to meet Sindhu. All my wishes gone waste. Hope Tai continue to play till next Olympics . After seeing AnSeYoung playing at Olympics, I must say that she never improved. Her game was as that of before. Hope she won't become another Sung Ji Hyun . After Sindhu, who are there to fill the gap in India?. Where is vaishnavi ready jakka?. Did she stopped playing?. @badmuse Sai Praneeth ! He wasted such an opportunity this time in Olympics. Considering Momota was taken down, he could have used that opportunity to move till Semis . Did he really practiced hard !. Such a waste of talent. His fitness is a big letdown to him always. I wanna forget about him . Such a disappointment.
That's an interesting point. About 2 or 3 years ago I was talking to this Indian psychologist in BC - I forgot his BC username - and we were talking about why Lee Chong Wei always chokes in big finals. He said something interesting. He said that more than the opponent itself, it is the stage and the venue of the match that affects someone's psychology. Even when there was no Lin Dan in big finals, LCW would end up loosing to Chen Long or someone else in big finals. It makes sense that Sindhu not having any great result in Japan would have played in the back of her mind.
The luck of the draw is definitely a factor in winning medals. In WC 2013 Ratchanok escaped playing 2 of her nemesis Wang Shixian and Wang Yihan since Sindhu knocked them out. Sindhu could have won Gold if Ratchanok had to play one of them. Similarly in Olympics, 2016 Carolina Marin escaped playing her nemesis Okuhara, it could have a been a Okuhara/Sindhu final with Sindhu winning gold. Olympics 2020 PV Sindhu had a better chance of reaching the final if Tai was on the other side or if she was on the other side of the draw. Indian WS is in a state of transition, we will get a better picture in 2-3 years of who can handle the pressure at the international stage. Until then it is a lone warrior PV Sindhu as Saina Nehwal nears retirement. Vaishnavi Jakka Reddy got injured and after COVID-19 cancelled tournaments, there is no news of her. There are several young girls Malvika Bansod, Aakarshi Kashyap, Tasnim Mir, Samiya Farooqui, Ira Sharma, Ashmita Chaliha and many others. Once regular tournaments are allowed we will see their performances. Sai Praneeth is one of India's most talented players and biggest under achievers. His weak mental state has led to below par performance, countless losses from winning positions. Until India finds a coach that can instil mental confidence in players like him, he and Indian MS will continue to struggle. Siril Verma is another example, he still has hope till he turns 27. It's tough being an Indian badminton fan, it's best to have no expectations, when they come up with the odd good performance, we can enjoy the moment!
