NEW DELHI: The stage at the $950,000 French Open final was set for a classic clash of resilience against relentless supremacy.
She won another as Sindhu, against the odds, took the first game. The numbers painted a daunting picture. But Sindhu was matching her shot for shot, brilliantly reading the trajectory of An’s returns. With a solid disguise and a clinical kill, Sindhu converted her third game point, sealing the first game to surprise the arena. However, champions of An’s calibre find an extra gear when cornered. Pushing the rallies and closing in at the net more frequently, An elevated the match into a display of extraordinary shots.
This was their 11th meeting, third of the year, with the South Korean superstar holding a spotless 10-0 record against the Indian. In their previous 21 games, Sindhu had managed to capture just a single game. But normalcy resumed thereafter in the summit clash of the Super 750 tournament. An responded with trademark brilliance, levelling the score at 11-all using sublime sliced drops at the net. Capitalising on a flurry of uncharacteristic errors from her opponent and picking up drop shots with lightning reflexes, Sindhu surged ahead to 15-11. A mix of misjudgments and deep baseline shots from An widened the gap to 19-14, soon stretching to 20-14. Unleashing an unbelievable barrage of pinpoint drop shots to which Sindhu had no answer, An clawed her way to an 11-7 lead at the mid-game interval. The momentum firmly belonged to the world No.1.
Backed by solid retrieving and sharp tactical execution, Sindhu edged ahead to an 11-9 mid-game lead. Sindhu stormed out of the blocks, claiming the opening two points with an assertive statement of intent. Cheered on by Irwansyah from the coach’s chair, the two-time Olympic medallist began deploying her weapons. She utilised her towering reach, executing stinging smashes, exhibiting brilliant net play with delicate wristwork to outsmart the world’s best. Though An fought back with effortless retrieval, Sindhu’s calculated aggression forced uncharacteristic errors from the usually error-free Korean.
