New Delhi: Two time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu believes there is considerable room for improvement despite reaching the final of the French Open badminton tournament, where she lost to South Korea’s Olympic champion and world number one An Se Young on Sunday.
Sindhu fought hard before suffering a 21 16, 11 21, 12 21 defeat in the final of the USD 950,000 Super 750 tournament. The Indian shuttler started strongly, winning the opening game, but could not maintain her momentum as An Se Young recovered to claim the next two games and secure the title.
Reflecting on her performance, Sindhu acknowledged the positives from her campaign while admitting that she needed to improve in key areas. The former world champion, who won the Japan Open Super 750 in July, said reaching another major final was encouraging but highlighted the importance of continuing to develop her game.
Sindhu identified the third game as a crucial turning point, particularly after she established an 8 5 advantage. However, An Se Young turned the situation around to take an 11 9 lead before the players changed ends.
The Indian felt that maintaining her advantage at that stage could have made a significant difference to the outcome. Once her opponent gained control, Sindhu struggled to regain the momentum needed to force a comeback.
She also pointed to the importance of winning extended rallies against elite opponents, acknowledging that converting more of those exchanges into points could have changed the match.
Court drift also affected Sindhu’s performance, contributing to a few unforced errors. However, she recognised that adapting to playing conditions is an essential part of badminton and stressed the need to remain in control regardless of the circumstances.
Despite the defeat, Sindhu remained positive about her progress. She emphasised that competing against the best players requires sustained concentration, intensity and determination on every point, adding that she would focus on the areas needing improvement as she looks ahead to future tournaments.
