Malvika Bansod had gone down in straight games to Han Yue in Kuala Lumpur only last week. On Wednesday, the 23-year-old pushed her higher-ranked opponent to the limit, taking off the opener and being on the brink of an upset before experience saw the World No. 4 Chinese through at the India Open.
Malvika, though was satisfied with her performance. “In less than five days, I have been able to take one game and make necessary corrections. I’m sure the next time I play her, it will be my turn to win. I couldn’t convert my chances in the third game but I am happy with my performance today,” Malvika said after the match.
Asked about the changes she made in this period, she laughed.
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“I can’t reveal so much, that will be unfair on my part! But she has a few peculiar angles she plays in and I feel I was getting caught there, so I was a bit more prepared for that. There were a few strategic errors last week, I was up 10-5 there also but could not convert. Today I made the necessary changes and I’m glad I could convert the first game. Unfortunately could not get victory but had a great experience playing at home ground,” Malvika said.
Prannoy, still recovering from the aftereffects of Chikungunya he suffered last year, admitted it was a tough road back. “The last few months were tough but things are getting better. I can see improvement in my game as well. It’s going to be a tough challenge to consistently play at a high level without breaks,” the 32-year-old said.
Prannoy, still recovering from the effects of Chikungunya he suffered last year, was unable to build on his early momentum, falling short against Su Li Yang 16-21, 21-18, 21-12.
| Photo Credit:
Shiv Kumar Pushpakar/The Hindu
Prannoy, still recovering from the effects of Chikungunya he suffered last year, was unable to build on his early momentum, falling short against Su Li Yang 16-21, 21-18, 21-12.
| Photo Credit:
Shiv Kumar Pushpakar/The Hindu
“Post-Chikungunya, it was really tough to get back to normal. I’m still only around 60-70 per cent, in terms of fitness. It was important for me to keep playing in the circuit and stay involved. Malaysia was a decent outing but I had a few niggles after that, which made today tough. But I’m happy to be back on the circuit. It takes a lot of work to be physically ready. The time you need to dedicate to the physical side just to play a three-set match every day is enormous,” he added.
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Lakshya Sen, meanwhile, simply admitted that it had been an off day and he was unable to stand up to his much faster and attacking opponent. This was his second straight first-round exit after the Malaysia Open setback last week and the 12-ranked Indian admitted he needed to get back the momentum.
“I tried to do my best but credit also to him for playing really well. I was prepared for a tough match today but I could not do what I wanted,” Lakshya, who will next participate in the Indonesia Masters, said.
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