Paris, July 31: After reaching the women’s pre-quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics, India’s ace shuttler PV Sindhu is geared up to face the challenge awaiting in the knockout stage of the competition, as she admitted that ‘there are not going to be easy matches.’ Sindhu, who is playing in her third Olympics, topped Group M after defeating Estonia’s Kristin Kuuba 21-5, 21-10 on Wednesday.
She earlier defeated Maldives’ Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq in her opening match. “I can’t take it easy. I have to top the group and I had to be my best and to see what the court conditions are. It was a good game and I have to prepare for the next match,” said Sindhu after reaching the round of 16.
Reflecting on the court condition, Sindhu said, “It is bit fast on one side but we will have to manage it. We don’t have excuses so you have to manage it as we have been playing for so many years. You have to give shuttle in the court and see where the drift is and accordingly, keep changing…” she added.
Sindhu’s probable opponent in the pre-quarterfinals will be He Bing Jiao, whom she defeated in the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal match. Speaking about her encounters in the knockout stage, Sindhu admitted that she will not get any easy games from now and she has to be at her best both mentally and physically.
“It’s not going to be an easy match. From the next round, it’s the eliminations and you can’t expect easy points or easy wins. There are going to be big matches from now on so I have to be at my best. I am not going to have these easy games anymore. He Bing also doing well. From this stage, I have to be at my 100 per cent physically and mentally,” said the two-time Olympic medallist shuttler.
Sindhu, who is eyeing her third successive Olympic medal, has never returned empty-handed from the Summer Games, having claimed silver at her debut Games in Rio 2016 before clinching bronze at the Tokyo Games.
IANS