Pusarla Venkata Sindhu’s commanding final victory over Spain’s reigning world, Olympic and European champion Carolina Marin, two days after a straight-sets quarter-final triumph over fellow countrywoman Saina Nehwal in the India Open Super Series final is certainly a big positive for Indian badminton.
The fact that Sindhu, who had last lost to the same opponent in the fight for Rio Gold, has certainly come of age since then and managed to avenge her defeat to the Spaniard with a clinical two-set victory this time. Sunday’s triumph at the Siri Fort Indoor Complex in New Delhi was certainly an indication that Saina’s eight-year reign as the undisputed queen of Indian badminton has come to an end and Sindhu has certainly announced herself as the next torch-bearer of women’s badminton in India.
Since her maiden appearance in an Olympic final at Rio last year, where Sindhu won a historic silver, the Hyderabadi shuttler has certainly emerged as a force to reckon with. Six clear years separate the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist and 2015 World Championships silver medal winner Saina from the 21-year-old Sindhu, who has notched up a sort of “reverse achievement” from Saina, of an Olympic silver medal (Rio 2016) and two World Championship bronze medals (2013 and 2014).
Saina, who turned 27 on March 17 this year, has dominated the Indian badminton scene since 2009, winning a dozen Super Series titles at international level, and scaling the Mount Everest of the Badminton World Federation rankings for a few weeks in the first quarter of 2015. Sindhu’s recent feats definitely speak of her rise in stature in world badminton. She has been the undisputed leader of the country’s challenge in international team competitions like the Uber Cup and Sudirman Cup during this entire period. She may still score over her former Gopichand Academy team-mate in the future, but one cannot help but get a feeling that Sindhu has now assumed a distinct psychological advantage over Saina.
Sindhu, who had hovered at around the 9th to 12th spot for the most part of 2016, has made a strong dash up the rankings in the opening weeks of 2017, and has an outstanding chance of powering past Korea’s Sung Ji Hyun (whom she ousted in the semi-finals of the India Open) and also displacing Marin from the No.2 spot behind Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying when the world rankings are next announced.
At the end of Rio Olympics, Marin had opened up a 5-2 career head-to-head lead over Sindhu, but has since been reined in to 5-4, with Sindhu winning their last two meetings in the 2016 Dubai Super Series year-ending grand finals and now in the 2017 India Open. Revenge has been gained twice over.
