PUNE: Pune shuttler Shruti Mundada negotiated the pressure well as expectations rose after she turned out to be the lone player from the city to make it to the final of the all-India senior ranking badminton tournament, which concluded at the Modern Sports Complex on Sunday.
Though Shruti lost to Ruthvika Shivani 21-10, 21-17 she left the court on a high note.
“The final contest was a good one but I made too many errors which is why I lost out. I tried to make a comeback in the second game but it was very crucial at that moment so a few points here and there cost me the match,” is how Shruti described her match.
“This has been my best tournament so far in all the years that I have played. This is the first singles finals that I have played, so it has been a very positive tournament for me,’ she added.
“Ruthvika is a very experienced player. She has played for the country and won international medals so I knew it was going to be a tough match. I had to give it my best.There were little jitters at the start of the game. She was more consistent and that is where I give credit to her,” said Shruti.
Speaking about the tense moments she had during the tournament Shruti said “In my second round match against Aashi Rawat, I lost the first game from a very big lead. The second game was also a close one but I was able to pull it off from there and that is where I caught the momentum for the tournament and this was a confidence booster for me which helped me pull of my next few matches.”
“Coming into the tournament, I was aiming to make the best out of it and try my best to get to the final and win it. So I am really happy that I could pull off this far. I tried my best. It would have been great if I would have won but it has given me a lot of confidence for sure,” Shruti informed.
“Despite being down I was able to pull of my matches. It has taught me to keep going and not think too much of the result.There are a few aspects of the game, I really need to work on, I can focus now on that,” Shruti added.
KNOW THE PLAYER
Name: Shruti Mundada
Trains at: Varun Khanwalkar Badminton Academy
Career Highlights:
- Won 4 School National medals
- Played a few All India doubles finals.
- Played National Games in 2014
- Won state titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles
