PV Sindhu at 1.79m might tower over the 1.55m tall Nozomi Okuhara, but yesterday, both stood tall. They were an amazing advertisement for the sport, as they fought most intensely
PV Sindhu stretches to make a return during the final yesterday. Pics/AFP
PV Sindhu stretches to make a return during the final yesterday. Pics/AFP
PV Sindhu at 1.79m might tower over the 1.55m tall Nozomi Okuhara, but yesterday, both stood tall. They were an amazing advertisement for the sport, as they fought most intensely in an energy-sapping contest that had every spectator at the Emirates Area here on the edge of their seats. It drained not just the players, but the spectators, too.
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As Okuhara floated and glided like a ballet dancer and yet all of sudden rose high to smash; Sindhu dipped and rose to return each barb. Then, suddenly roles were reversed. Okuhara fell many a time, only to rise again. Sindhu did that as well. In the end, the scores 21-19, 20-22, 22-20 show Okuhara as the winner, but it will never tell the full story of the stirring 110-minute battle.
It was as if there was a mirror and not a net in between the two. You could tell them apart only by the 10-inch difference in height.
The two 22-year-olds with a 3-3 head-to-head record were matched at 20-all in the decider before Okuhara nosed ahead. There wasn't a stroke that was not played and there wasn't a stroke that was not returned. The gap between the two was too thin to see or describe. Yet, in the end, there had to be a winner, and it was Okuhara.
Japan's Nozomi Okuhara with her gold medal after beating India's PV Sindhu in the World Badminton Championships final in Glasgow yesterday
Coming into the final, Sindhu had the advantage of having won their two most recent encounters — at the Rio Olympics in August 2016, and at the 2017 Singapore Open Super Series four months ago. But this epic battle went to Okuhara, who now leads their head-to-head 4-3. However, with both Okuhara and Sindhu just 22 each, their recent clashes in Rio, Singapore and now here in Glasgow suggest that this might just be the beginning of a long rivalry from two immensely talented players.
For India, the event was historic with two women on the podium — Saina with a bronze to go with her 2015 silver, and Sindhu with a silver to go with her 2013 and 2014 bronze medals.
And yes, both have an Olympic medal each — bronze with Saina and silver with Sindhu. The race is on — who will get the first gold. but more than anything else, this is a duo that Indian badminton would do well to cherish.
On Friday Okuhara accounted for Carolina Marin and then on Saturday it was Saina Nehwal before PV SIndhu on Sunday. The pint-sized bundle of energy. Through the entire match, she made the much taller SIndhu run all around, with high tosses alternating with gorgeous drops so desperately close to the net. Yet SIndhu mustering every ounce of energy in her sinewy and lanky frame bent forward and leant backward to retrieve each of them. It was the same on both sides.
Sindhu held handy leads at various points, but each time Okuhara came back. The Indian after losing the first game went to 20-17 only to see the Japanese girl catch up with her. Sindhu still managed to prise that game to push the encounter into the decider.
Though there were stages when one player would hold a seemingly handy lead, but it was not long before the other caught up or came close. Ultimately Okuhara drew first blood with the first game at 21-19.
Sindhu got an early lead, but Okuhara, always taking time to get into her rhythm caught up again. From 17-20 she came to 20-all with two net cords dribbling onto Sindhu's side. But the Indian stayed in and won 22-20.
With tiredness setting in, both seemed to be taking more than 20 seconds for the time outs and Sindhu was even warned once in the middle of the third game. It was back to the see-saw as the lead ebbed and flowed. Okuhara got to the matchpoint at 20-19 and then Sindhu pulled it back, only to net the next one to give the Japanese girl a second match point.
On this one, Okuhara caught Sindhu short with amazing drop, which even while having been an expected one was simply un-pickable. Okuhara's win gave Japan their first-ever singles title, and for India it meant a silver for the second time in a row – Saina Nehwal won a silver in 2015, losing to Carolina Marin.
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