Had I won first set, it would have been different: PV Sindhu reflects on heartbreak in Paris

PARIS: India’s star shuttler P V Sindhu believes if she had won the first set, the result could have panned out differently. She was speaking following her exit in the women’s singles event at the Paris Olympics.

In the Round of 16 clash against sixth-seeded Chinese shuttler He Bing Jiao, Sindhu fell on the wrong side of the result. Her campaign in the women’s singles event ended with a 21-19, 21-14 defeat in straight sets.

The first set was a closely fought affair, even though Jiao raced to a healthy lead in the beginning stages of the set. Sindhu caught up to the Jiao and brought parity to 19-19.

The deciding moment of the opening set was when Sindhu challenged the decision for the 20th point. The shuttlecock landed on the line, which allowed the Chinese shuttler to go ahead in the game. Jiao went on to seal the first set and eventually the game.

After the match, Sindhu reflected on the game and felt that the result could have been different if she had won the first set.

“Yeah, I think I mean it is sad that I couldn’t get the result that I wanted. At the Olympics, everybody wants to win, but unfortunately, that couldn’t happen, or it didn’t go the right way for me. The first game could have been a bit different, especially, I feel at 19-all, it was anybody’s game. I challenged it. It would have been good if it was in my favour, but it was on the line, and it was 20-19 in her favour. Maybe if I won the first set, it would have been different. I would have had a lot more confidence”, Sindhu said after the game.

In the second set, Jiao’s relentless style of play didn’t give Sindhu many opportunities to make a comeback. The game slowly slipped out of Sindhu’s hands. Jiao capped off an impressive display by securing the second set with a 21-14 win.

“But I think in the second game, it was good in the beginning, and then she took the lead. Overall, I just felt it was a sad day, but I need to keep my head high”, Sindhu concluded. (ANI)