Nitchaon Jindapol held her head with both hands and shook it as she began interacting with the media. It summed up her exasperation at having let the World No. 4 PV Sindhu bounce back in the final game of their pre-quarterfinals at the All England Open. A nervous Sindhu stayed strong in the final 15 minutes of a topsy-turvy battle, fighting back from being 12-16 in the final game to eventually win 21-18 after both players had traded the preceding two games with equal scorelines - 21-13.
On Wednesday, Sindhu had predicted a "lengthy" match in the second round. However, the opponent she had in mind was not Jindapol, but Beiwen Zhang of the USA, who had beaten her to win the Indian Open recently. Zhang, thouh, caved in easily to Jindapol in the first round as she was not 100% fit.
Still, Sindhu had enough knowledge about Jindapol. Both women had met thrice previously, with the Indian holding a 2-1 advantage. Sindhu put forth a confident stride in the first game. There was more agility and flexibility in the Indian's movements. Her footwork was more assured as was the court coverage - she was taking forward the control she had attained in the second half of her first-round win.
Importantly, Sindhu did not leave too much space for Jindapol to counterattack. Jindapol would later admit that she was struggling to find the right pace and the imbalance proved costly in the first game. However, once she did settle in, Jindapol started controlling the exchanges better. This is what worked in her favour.
The same gaps that were non-existent in the first game suddenly opened up in the second as Jindapol dashed to a 11-3 lead. Sindhu was heavy footed and not moving freely, thus allowing Jindapol easy points.
The only way Sindhu could come back was to fight for every point since Jindapol was unrelenting. Sindhu's lifts from the net were now going wide in her desire to hit them deeper into the court. Her smashes were suddenly no longer winners, as Jindapol combined resilience with good control.
Sindhu admitted to being distracted after being pushed off the grid by Jindapol in the second game.
"In the first game she was not in the match so I finished it off easily," Sindhu told ESPN. "Second game it wasn't easy for me. I was making mistakes. When she took a huge lead I was a bit nervous, as nothing was going my way. My mindset was like what's happening. I was just losing points continuously."
At the break, India coach Pullela Gopichand told Sindhu to erase whatever had happened in the middle game and start afresh. "After that I just told myself, 'come on, you've to come back into the match'. Gopi Sir was also like the second game is over. In the third game you have to be really prepared. It is not over yet."
Although Sindhu started confidently and took an early lead, Jindapol was close on her heels, refusing to budge. She erased a three-point advantage the Indian had and then drew level at 9-9. But Jindapol hit a wide overheard cross-court outside the tram lines which emitted a cry of anguish from Sindhu. Fourteen minutes into the game, the Indian walked into the break with a slender advantage at 11-9.
Jindapol took the lead for the first time in the game by first picking a powerful smash form Sindhu low on her right and then quickly firing in a a half-smash which the Indian could only send back to the net. Although Sindhu went on to regain a one-point lead, she was being cautious. Instead of being in control, she was being controlled by Jindapol.
Two unforced errors in a row by Sindhu quickly gave Jindapol the advantage as she led 16-12, with the match now clocking an hour. Sindhu then opted to switch into attack mode, and three important smashes brought her level at 16-16. The players would carry on exchanging leads till 18-18, but Sindhu finally regained the edge when the a quick exchange at the net put her on match point. Less than a minute later, Sindhu clenched her fist to signal her win.
Sindhu agreed she was a tad lucky to escape with victory. "I was 11-9 then it was 12-16. I just gave her a huge lead making lots of errors, hitting out and making unforced errors where I could actually get points. From 16-16, again I was down 18-16, then again 18-18. I am happy that I have taken a match like that. I could have played much better."
Jindapol explained she was trying too hard to focus in the third game. Her strategy was to try and hit the shuttle to the backline, but with Sindhu possessing a strong backhand, that plan was not working out.
This is Sindhu's sixth visit to the Championships, and on Friday, she will play only her second ever quarterfinal in the tournament; she reached the same stage here last year.
Despite not being at her best, Sindhu remained positive, stressing that she will be more patient and prepared for future challenges.
"Even though I was down, I was fighting. I fought back and I won it."