GLASGOW: Things have not been going as planned for India’s P.V. Sindhu in the Commonwealth Games, so far.
Top seed Sindhu came to Glasgow with two missions – defend the women’s singles title, which compatriot Saina Nehwal won in New Delhi four years ago, and get a good warm-up ahead of the World Championships in Copenhagen from Aug 25-31.
But Sindhu, the World Championships bronze medallist, suffered a surprise loss to Michelle Li in the mixed team tie against Canada last week and she hasn’t been quite the same since.
The 19-year-old Sindhu, however, is positive that she will bounce back with a stronger performance in the ongoing women’s singles event at the Emirates Arena.
She is expected to make the semi-finals without much fuss as she is in the same quarter with all unheralded shuttlers.
In the last four, she could get a chance for a re-match against either Michelle or Singapore’s latest import –18-year-old China-born Liang Xiaoyu, who has been making waves in the Games.
Sindhu slogged to beat Xiaoyu in the bronze medal playoff.
“Saina won it at the last Games and, naturally, the whole of India is hoping for me to defend it,” said Sindhu.
“Saina has skipped the Games here and, I guess, I’ll have to learn to deal with the pressure.
“Generally, it has been good for me but I just need to be more consistent. I knew Michelle would be a tough opponent even before the Games started because she has been doing well.”
The ones likely to be a threat to Sindhu from the lower half of the draw are second seed Kirsty Gilmour and fourth seed and national No. 1 Tee Jing Yi.
But she’s not going to look that far ahead yet.
All she knows is that a gold medal in her first Commonwealth Games will surely put her on the right path ahead of the world meet.
“I reached the semi-finals last year (in Wuhan) and, I guess, expectations are higher this time. It is my goal to give another strong performance,” she said.
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