New Delhi, Aug 10: A look at the draw and she knew it was not going to be easy but rising shuttler P V Sindhu said she never underestimated herself as she slayed one giant after another for a historic bronze medal at the World Championships in Guangzhou, China.
Sindhu, ranked 12th, today suffered a 10-21 13-21 loss to world number three Ratchanok Inthanon of Thailand in the semifinal to settle for a bronze medal at the prestigious event.
The 18-year-old is the first woman shuttler from India to get a medal at the mega-event.
“I am a bit upset after the loss but I am happy to win the bronze. It was my first World Championship and it is a big victory for me,” Sindhu told PTI over phone from Guangzhou.
“Actually the World Championship draw was really tough for me because all the good players were there and I knew I had to play really well. I had to play Wang Yihan and Shixian Wang, but I didn't think that I will go on to lose.
“I was coming from an injury and missed two tournaments, so I just wanted to give my best, my 100 per cent,” she added.
Playing in her maiden World Championships, Sindhu notched up stunning victories against two Chinese players in the run-up to the semifinals but she failed to read Ratchanok's deceptive game.
Talking about the semifinal match, Sindhu said: “It was tough. She played really well and there were plenty of errors from my side. I want to come back stronger and next time I want to be better,” she said.
Sindhu, who committed a lot of unforced errors, however, didn't want to blame the drift for her failure.
“The drift was there but I don't want to complain because it is common for all. It is there for them too. It is all in the game and how you play that is what matters at the end of the day,” said the girl from Hyderabad.
