PV Sindhu's mantra for success in 2018: New strokes and multi-dimensional approach

Mumbai: It’s been an incredible year for PV Sindhu. The Rio Olympics silver-medallist started 2017 ranked sixth in the world, and after a year of dizzying highs interspersed with heartbreaking losses, ends it at No 3. Rankings, however, do little to encapsulate the anguish of three losses in the finals of big tournaments, two of which — World Championships and Dubai World Superseries Finals — came in 2017 and against players of similar style and pedigree.Call it the chastening effect of being at the receiving end of retrieving machines Nozomi Okuhara and Akane Yamaguchi, or simply the routine reinvention elite sportspersons look for, Sindhu dwelled on the need to diversify one’s game on a day the 'PV Sindhu Official App' was launched.“I think it is important to be multi-dimensional as players. You can’t just focus on only attack or just defence; you ought to be good on both,” she told Firstpost in a telephonic interview.[caption id="attachment_4263583" align="alignleft" width="380"]

PV Sindhu lost the Dubai World Superseries Finals to Japan's Akane Yamaguchi earlier this month. AP[/caption]Sindhu should know. While her cross-court smashes from the backcourt are a thing of brute beauty, she has been fallible at the net. Both Okuhara and Yamaguchi employed long shots in the summit clashes at the World Championships and Dubai World Superseries Finals, forcing her into long rallies and cutting down the room for her trademark flat shots.Three-time Commonwealth Games medallist Aparna Popat had then impressed upon the need to develop new strokes, something that Sindhu concurs with.“I need to develop a lot more strokes and I am working towards it. Every stroke is very important and has to be perfected. There’s obviously a lot more to improve in my game in the coming year,” she said.Strokes aside, winning tough battles is as much a test of mental fortitude, and very often, such matches hinge precariously on who blinks first. Sindhu, who won the Syed Modi International, India Open and Korea Open this year, emphasised on the need to focus.“In matches like those (Dubai and World Championships finals), it’s very important to concentrate. You have to remain confident and give your best. I lost those matches but I’m very happy with my performances. Those were very close matches and could have gone either way.“It’s been a good year, and despite losing the finals in Dubai and World Championships, I am very happy with my performance,” Sindhu, who won 44 of the 57 matches she played in 2017, added.App to interact with fansThe Indian ace, who is playing for Chennai Smashers in the ongoing Premier Badminton League (PBL), said the rationale behind 'PV Sindhu Official App' is to ensure a more personalised and regular interaction with her fans.“The app will give me a chance to personally interact with fans. They can watch my videos, participate in certain contests and meet me. I am absolutely thrilled and very excited,” she added.The app can be downloaded from Sindhu’s official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.