HONGKONG: Indian badminton ace PV Sindhu set her sights on the ranking of becoming the world number one player after she shook off opening-match nerves to reach the last 16 at the Hong Kong Open on Wednesday.
Last year's runner-up and current world number three needed a mid-match pep talk from her coaches before beating Thailand Jindapol 21-15, 13-21, 21-17.
Sindhu has been dominating the badminton circuit for quite some time but one thing she is eyeing next is the top ranking. One day I will be the world number one player, said by Sindhu.
According to AFP, Sindhu said, "it is not an easy task for me there are some players who are coming up. But definitely one day I will be the number one, that's what I feel.
Taiwan's 24-year-old sensation Tai Tzu Ying has dominated the rankings over the past two seasons.
Sindhu has lost five straight finals including, the one in the Asian Games, against Tai. Her last victory against Tai was in the Rio Olympics, 2016 en route to the finale. This year Sindhu hasn't won any big title. She has been involved in five matches, but unfortunately lost all of them. Her recent loss was the 2018 Asian Games.
In August, Forbes magazine rated her as the world's seventh highest paid sportswoman.
She said her elevation and high profile had inspired other players in India and had also raised expectations about her performances.
Sindhu looked set to make quick work of her opening match Wednesday, breaking away from Nitchaon in the first game. But she began to falter soon afterward as Nitchaon's powerful smashes battered her into submission in the second game.
