PV Sindhu doesn’t need a biopic. She lives theatre or movie shorts – every day. Who freezes for 11 whole points from 19-8 up in the decider, and then flicks on a switch suddenly, before stretching out a climax for three match points? The Indian brought the bright hues of autumnal leaves to her opening round match of the French Open, defeating old nemesis Supanida Katethong 21-14, 8-21, 23-21.
Sindhu was two points away from victory at 44 minutes in the match, but took 20 minutes of manic madness more to actually nail the win at the Tremblay en France in a commune arena on the outskirts of Paris.
The comms called it a crazy match, and it was because Sindhu contrived to create absolute cinema out of a regulation first round – by hitting snooze on the brink of a win. And then crackling up like a threatening-to-defuse dynamite.
India will have 4 players in Top 32 next week, and it’s had a World No 1 a dozen years ago. But there’s nobody as entertaining as Sindhu in early rounds of a tournament.
The Thai leftie used to be an almighty headache for Sindhu once. Her southpaw angles troubled Sindhu at most inopportune times, like playing in front of home crowd at Delhi while guided by an ex-coach. Then the Indian started asserting her class – the attack and stubbed Supanida’s defiance of rank. So she wasn’t exactly a great mystery to solve at Paris. The comms even noted how Sindhu had gotten to the brink of a certain win in 40-odd minutes despite a third setter.
Win the first. Catch breath in second. Race to the end in the third. Sindhu had it all figured out. So it was 19-8. And that’s when Katethong started not with some firework display her comeback. Sindhu had gone into sleep-mode, returning mechanically, and bleeding points for no rhyme or reason except passivity. First it was 7 points in a row, yet panic hadn’t hit. At 19-19, it whipped her face.
That Sindhu has weapons to go from 0 to 100 in a blink is known. She’s like Venus Williams who playing an Olympic doubles medal confirming match with Rajeev Ram in tennis at Rio, had suddenly woken up and flattened Mirza-Bopanna, with no intimation of her summoning of powers. Sindhu has understated howitzers, fitted with silencers, but she boomed similarly. A rasping smash that would’ve dented a softer surface than the synth court carpet. 20-19.
It still wasn’t over.
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An error here, the slightest of shuttle grazing the line there, and Supanida could’ve dreamt of a humongous comeback win. But the Sindhu attack – grows intimidating when she gets in the mood to annihilate. So she pulled off three big attacks, and let the Thai panic from having climbed the mountain. When she was done with the Thai, Sindhu appreciated graciously with a smile and a pat.
It’s fraught to declare Sindhu has turned back time. Because by the time quarters of big tournaments fetch up, younger, swifter, stronger, wilier opponents do get the better of her. But there is no doubting how motivated she is to put herself in position for titles. To fight on, even as she wins at LA 2028.
The power is pristine, the strokes are evolved, the stamina does let her down at 31. But she does have the power smash, one zing to rule them all. All, save An Se-young. Yet, it is those utterly befuddling lapses like 19-8 to 19-19 that make Sindhu entertaining. She took 64 minutes to wrap up something she could’ve clinically finished in under 45. And why she freezes remains a mystery. How she unfreezes and boils over onto her opponents’ hopes is the sequel.
She plays World No 19 Riko Gunji of Japan next.
