Two-time Olympic medallist Indian <keyword id="20626605" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shuttler" source="keywords">shuttler</keyword> <keyword id="20114899" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="PV-Sindhu" source="keywords">PV Sindhu</keyword> began her <keyword id="4833237" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="paris-olympics" source="Orion">Paris Olympics</keyword> campaign with a resounding straight games win over Maldives' <keyword id="22577064" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fathimath-Abdul-Razzaq" source="keywords">Fathimath Abdul Razzaq</keyword> in the <keyword id="20931243" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="womens-singles" source="keywords">women's singles</keyword> group stage match, here on Sunday. The gulf of class between the two players was evident as Sindhu, who is vying for a third Olympic medal, took just 29 minutes to dispatch her lower-ranked opponent 21-9 21-6 in the Group M fixture. "It was a good start, I am happy. I was able to get used to the court and the atmosphere. It has been a long time, coming back after three years, it's a very special one. 2016 (<keyword id="19933819" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympics" source="keywords">Olympics</keyword>) was different and 2020 (2021) was completely different. It is a sort of mixture of both," said Sindhu about her Olympic journey. "I am enjoying and looking to the second match." After a couple of unforced errors, Sindhu was quick to assess the condition and took control of the proceedings, racing to a 11-4 lead. The world No 111 Fathimath was no match against the former world champion who finished the first game in a mere 13 minutes. The second game followed a similar manner with Sindhu claiming the first four points in the blink of an eye to take an early lead. However, Razzaq capitalised on Sindhu's error to bridge the gap to make it 3-4. But it became a one-sided contest once again as the Indian increased the gap to 10-3. In the end, Sindhu had as many as 14 match points but the world No 13 needed only one to seal the tie. The 10th seeded Indian, who won the silver medal in the Rio Games in 2016 and a bronze in the last edition in Tokyo, will take on World No 75 <keyword id="22388886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kristin-Kuuba" source="keywords">Kristin Kuuba</keyword> of Estonia in her second group match on Wednesday. Sindhu has been mentored by the legendary <keyword id="20626607" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prakash-Padukone" source="keywords">Prakash Padukone</keyword> in the past few months, and she said the association has been beneficial to her. "I have been with Prakash sir for more than six months now and it's going on very well. Everything is coming together. We have to know each other very well to work together," she said. "Prakash sir is a legend, he is very experienced and he will come and tell me what is required, what I need to change." Asked about the aspects of her game which has improved since she started working with Padukone, she said, "Overall, it has not changed the way I feel but there have been add-ons. "When after I got injured It was getting difficult to move well on court and it was at times getting hard to get the momentum back. We worked on that, we worked on strokes, not just on net and defence but on overall game. You need to be at your 100 per cent in every big tournament or on every stroke." She said mental strength is very important for players, especially during a big event like the Olympics. "It is very important to be mentally strong. You at times don't know what is happening, everything gone from you. we worked on the mental things also. I tried to be positive, keep myself calm and do yoga."

Paris Olympics: PV Sindhu opens campaign with dominant win over Fathimath Abdul Razzaq

India shuttler <keyword id="20114899" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="PV-Sindhu" source="keywords">PV Sindhu</keyword> marched into the Round of 16 of the <keyword id="20012442" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="badminton" source="keywords">badminton</keyword> <keyword id="20931243" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="womens-singles" source="keywords">women's singles</keyword> event after beating <keyword id="22388886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kristin-Kuuba" source="keywords">Kristin Kuuba</keyword> of <keyword id="20361165" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Estonia" source="keywords">Estonia</keyword> in the final Group M match at the ongoing <keyword id="20006192" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-Olympics" source="keywords">Paris Olympics</keyword> on Wednesday. Sindhu dominated over Kuuba and won the match 21-5, 21-10 in a 34-minute contest at the <keyword id="22615945" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="La-Chapelle-Arena" source="keywords">La Chapelle Arena</keyword>. In the first game, Sindhu controlled the momentum and clinched a 21-5 win in just 14 minutes. Meanwhile, The Indian shuttler continued her form and won the second game 21-10 in 19 minutes. PV Sindhu could potentially face the People's Republic of China's He Bingjiao in her upcoming Round of 16 match. Earlier in the Tokyo Olympics, Sindhu beat He Bingjiao to secure her bronze. In Sindhu's previous Group M match, the Indian shuttler began her quest for her third Olympic medal with a straightforward win against the Maldives' Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq in the women's singles event. Sindhu displayed grit and confidence and restricted her opponent to single digits in both games. She began her campaign with a 21-9, 21-6 win in a game that lasted for 29 minutes. In the hunt for her third Olympic medal, Sindhu didn't waste any time in establishing her dominance. She used every inch of the badminton court to her advantage and lured her opponent into playing a loose shot. This was the second time Sindhu and Razzaq had faced each other. The Indian shuttler breezed past the Maldives shuttler in their first encounter, and once again, history repeated itself in Paris. The first game began with both shuttlers going neck-to-neck against each other. Sindhu took a point lead, and Razzaq fought back to level the scoreline. The trend lasted till the scoreboard read 4-4. Sindhu upped her game and went on a spree, which saw her claim ten points in a row. Razzaq eventually managed to break Sindhu's 10-point spree, but the first game was almost out of her hands. An angled flick from Sindhu, showcasing her class, made the score line 19-6 in her favour. Razzaq fought back, fighting hard for a late comeback by winning three consecutive points. An exquisite drop shot made the scoreline 19-9. Sindhu eventually sealed the first game in 13 minutes with a scoreline of 21-9. The second game was a similar story for the Maldives shuttler. She failed to overcome Sindhu's technical prowess. Within a blink of an eye, the Indian shuttler clinched three consecutive points before her shot was stopped by the net. This opened a window of opportunity for Razzaq to make a comeback and she exploited it to its best. She won three consecutive points, making the scoreline 4-3, leaving her just a point behind Sindhu. However, the short-lived rallies didn't do any favour for Razzaq as she eventually started to trail just like in the first set. Razzaq's defence didn't do her any favour, allowing Sindhu to seal the match following a 21-6 win in the second game.

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Paris Olympics: PV Sindhu opens campaign with dominant win over Fathimath Abdul Razzaq

PTI

Paris Olympics: PV Sindhu advances to round of 16 after beating Estonia's Kristin Kuuba

ANI