"I need to be quicker and have smooth movements, lot more shots as well, to finish the rallies. Somewhere she will catch you. Every rally is a different rally with her. Most players have set pattern but she has got a variety of shots," Saina Nehwal said after settling for a bronze
Jakarta: India’s ace shuttler Saina Nehwal has made a prediction about compatriot PV Sindhu’s big Asian Games final against world number one Tai Tzu Ying.
On Monday, in the semi-finals, Saina lost to Ying 17-21, 14-21 while Sindhu advanced to the final of the women’s badminton singles event in Jakarta. Sindhu defeated Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 15-21, 21-10.
This is for the first time that two individual badminton medals have come India’s way at the Asian Games. Sindhu is the first from the nation to feature in an Asian Games individual badminton event final.
On world number three Sindhu’s gold medal chances on Tuesday, Saina said, “It would be 50-50. Sindhu is taller and has more option to counter (Ying), she can play shots which I can't.”
In head-to-head record, Ying leads Sindhu 9-3. The former has won her last five meetings against the Indian.
After her 10th defeat in a row to Chinese Taipei’s Ying, Saina admitted that her opponent has a “special quality”.
"I need to be quicker and have smooth movements, lot more shots as well, to finish the rallies. Somewhere she will catch you. Every rally is a different rally with her. Most players have set pattern but she has got a variety of shots," Saina said after settling for a bronze.
"I definitely (need) the hand speed, bit more movement and not give her the chance to play her shots. There's a special quality. She is someone who is not easy to read. Not all the coaches can read her. As a player I have tried to read but she always comes up with a new shot," she added.
The 28-year-old said she was “confused” during her semi-final against Ying.
"She has a complete game where you don't know where to play her and where to get the points, I was really confused there. I played well, she played ever better. She tries to be very quick in the last few points, she is someone who has got very smooth movement with quick shots and she tries to execute them in the last points, so you have to be alert there. I tried to do but she has all kind of shots, even if you put her in difficult position, she comes out of it," the Hyderabadi explained.
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