“At the highest level, 2-3 points really matter”: PV Sindhu reflects after Thailand Open exit

PV Sindhu bowed out of the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Thailand Open Super 500 after a hard-fought three-game loss to top seed and World No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi on Friday.

Sindhu went down 21-19, 18-21, 15-21 in a contest that lasted a little over an hour, showing flashes of her attacking best before the Japanese star pulled away in the decider.

Reflecting on the narrow defeat, Sindhu admitted that small margins made the difference.

“I think I could have converted it into a win. Simple errors are what I made. At the highest level, 2-3 points really matter a lot,” she told BWF.

The Indian shuttler felt she had opportunities to close out the second game and seize momentum earlier in the match.

“I was leading in the second game, and maybe I should have converted it into a win. I should have been on the upper hand, but I made those errors which I shouldn’t have made.”

Despite the loss, Sindhu took positives from the week, especially from pushing some of the world’s best players deep in matches.

“Even though I’m there competing with the top players, it’s very important to be prepared for each and every rally and point. That matters a lot when it comes to the end.”

Sindhu on the new format

Sindhu also spoke about badminton’s upcoming transition to the experimental 15-point format and how it changes the dynamics of matches, particularly for attacking players like herself.

“With 15 points, you don’t have time to settle in. From the beginning, you need to be attacking, you need to be quick on your feet.”

She added that while matches may become shorter, the mental and physical demands could remain just as intense.

“Mentally, it is going to be taxing. In 15 points, you don’t have that space to come back.”

The former world champion said players would soon begin adapting their preparation to the new system ahead of its implementation.

“Of course, we all have to prepare from November-December, looking at the tournaments and the schedule cycle.”