We prepared a bit on the attacking side ahead of the Korea Open, says Pullela Gopichand

We prepared a bit on the attacking side ahead of the Korea Open, says Pullela Gopichand

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Pullela Gopichand has said that PV Sindhu had worked on her attacking game ahead of the Korea Open which resulted in her career third Superseries title. Sindhu, who beat Nozomi Okuhara in the final, claimed that the World Championship loss was not on her mind when she faced the Japanese yesterday.

Sindhu didn’t miss the chance to exact revenge of her World Championship defeat to Nozomi Okuhara as she thrashed the Japanese in the final of the Korea Open by 22-20, 11-21, 21-18 on Sunday. In the World Championship, Sindhu failed to cross the final hurdle losing to Okuhara by a score of 19-21, 22-20, 20-22. Gopichand claimed that they had worked on Sindhu’s attacking game ahead of the tournament which helped her secure the thrid Superseries title of her career.

"We prepared a bit on the attacking side, not that we had a great amount of time but we tried to cover the mistakes that she committed at Glasgow in whatever time we had to prepare for Korea," Gopichand said as quoted by PTI.

"I think there is Japan next week which is a Premier Super Series, there is Denmark, France, China and Hong Kong. It is important that we focus on one at a time before the year-ender at Dubai final."

The chief national coach believed that if Sindhu works consistently she can manage to go a long way on the badminton circuit.

"At 22 she has a many years of badminton in her and if she can continue playing she will reach there someday.

"It is important she recovers well and plays the next tournament. I am not too worried about that, I guess we need to take it one by one," he added.

The Korea Open Superseries final lasted an hour and 23 minutes where the game entered in the third set. Sindhu clarified that at that time she was not thinking about the World Championship loss instead of that she was trying to control the shuttle during the game.

"I had lost to her after being 19-17 in the World Championship but I didn't keep that in my mind even though there were long rallies. I kept telling myself next point is important. I had to control the shuttle very much, so there was nothing in my mind," Sindhu told.

"I'm playing her again after playing in the World Championship and each point was very exhausting. In the first game, we were equal at 20-20 and I changed the course and won the game."

"In the second game all were going out, I couldn't control the shuttle. It was a huge lead even if I would have tried so I lost easy.

"In the third game, each and every point was important, even though I was leading at 11 points she came back and after 11 points, every point were big rallies like the World Championship and nobody was leaving." 

Japan Superseries Premier starts this week and Sindhu was asked if she wanted to play Okuhara in the final again, to which the Indian replied, "It is nothing like that, anybody is fine. It is the second time immediately after the World Championship that I am playing her in a final.

"Even earlier everybody used to say it would be Carolina Marin but now they are saying maybe it would be Okuhara again at Japan but I guess you have to play one or the other and you have to beat them to win."

After every tournament, the Hyderabadi shuttler has been proving herself as a much-improved player. She appears to be believing in her skills more and more and has shown glimpses of confidence and improved game sense in recent matches. Even the World Championship final was a superhuman effort but unfortunately, the 22-year-old Japanese stopped her in her tracks. Sindhu’s Father PV Ramana revealed that Sindhu was upset after the loss but she managed to come back.

"After the world championship she was upset and luckily she could come out of it. One good thing is that Sindhu enjoys playing and so she doesn't get tired when she is practising,” Ramana said.

"It is a good match today. Just like the last time it was anybody's game. Sindhu was comfortable in the third game after winning but first game was anybody's game," he said.

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