She may not like Carolina Marin's 'aggressive' mannerisms on court, but in a video message to the injured defending Olympic champion, Pusarla Venkata Sindhu says she will miss the Spaniard in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. (More Badminton News)
On Tuesday, Carolina Marin officially pulled out from Tokyo 2020 after she torn the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. This is the second time in two years, Marin, whose game is built on speed and power, has torn her ACL. In 2019, the former world champion ruptured the ACL in her right knee and was sidelined for seven months.
In Rio 2016 final, Marin had scored a come-from-behind 19-21, 21-12, 21-15 win against PV Sindhu to win the gold medal. It was one of the best singles finals ever seen at the Olympic stage.
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Off court, PV Sindhu and Carolina Marin have been good friends. In her Twitter message on Wednesday, Sindhu said: "I remember the last Olympic Games when we played in the final and it was really good competing against you..."
Sindhu said: "I'm going to miss that again, and I've been missing you - seeing you on court ...I hope you recover soon ...
"I will miss you at the Olympic Games but hope we compete against each other soon..."
The on-court equation between Marin and Sindhu has been quite intense. The Spaniard enjoys a
In a recent interview with Outlook, Sindhu said Marin's 'excessive shouting' on court can be nerve wracking.
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"It can put you off rhythm and sometimes it can be annoying," said Sindhu, adding that playing mind games was an important weapon employed by many players on the circuit.
Apart from skill and fitness, mental conditioning has been an important aspect of Sindhu's preparation for Tokyo Olympics. The 25-year-old doesn't want to be seen as a 'softie' on court and her personal coach Park Tae Sang certainly won't let that be an excuse.
Sindhu admits she needs to work on being ruthless on court and imbibe the 'win-at-all-cost' mentality to carve out the big points in close matches.
"My father says I am too nice on court. Well, I am not used to shouting and throwing unnecessary tantrums. I still believe staying calm helps," Sindhu said.
Marin's absence may give PV Sindhu a small advantage but the world champion says the Spaniard is not the only player who can win the gold in Tokyo.
"Anyone in the top 10 can win but I reckon three players -- Tai Tzu Ying, Nozomi Okukara and Ratchanok Intanon -- will have equal chance in Tokyo 2020. They all have this 'win-at-all-cost' mentality and therefore, serious challengers."
Sindhu's 2020-21 season has not seen too many highs. Out of the eight tournaments Sindhu has played, she played just one final at the Swiss Open in March and was blown away by Marin 21-12, 21-5.
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At the All-England semifinals earlier that month, Sindhu lost 21-17, 21-9 to another upcoming Thai player, Pornpawee Chochuwong. But former Thai world champion Ratchanok Intanon will be a big threat, says Sindhu.
"She may not be as aggressive as Carolina Marin but Ratchanok can easily put you off rhythm if she is trailing. She may ask for a shuttle change when it is not needed.
"These are clearly mind games and one has to rise above all that," said Sindhu, who lost to Ratchanok in the quarterfinals of the Toyota Thailand Open in January.
With enormous belief on coach Park, Sindhu says she can't wait to be in Tokyo. "I have really worked very hard and very keen to step on court," she says. Sindhu will be the only Indian woman in fray at Tokyo Olympics.
