From the excessive of beating World No. 1 Solar Yingsha in February to the low of being dropped from the Indian crew for the Paris Olympics in July, India’s Ayhika Mukherjee has had a topsy-turvy yr. But, it’s her unyielding will that has made her one of the crucial feared gamers on this planet of desk tennis.
On the Asian TT Championships on Tuesday, she proved but once more, that regardless of her lowly rating of World No 92, she will be able to by no means be counted out. Because it seems, she revels in taking part in in opposition to the most effective.
Towards World No. 8 Shin Yubin within the opening tie of the quarterfinal in opposition to Korea, Ayhika knew that if India needed to do the unthinkable and pull off an upset, she wanted to win.
It was a nervy day for India too. Their match was presupposed to be at 5 pm (native time) and it was solely at 9 am that they obtained an e-mail informing them that their match was introduced ahead to 12 midday. They scrambled and bought prepared simply in time for the tie.
Mentally, nothing might disturb them. Ayhika’s focus was strong from the phrase go as she raced to an 11-9 win within the opening sport. After dropping the second and down 2-8 within the third, she remained unfazed. She met Yubin’s ferocious forehand assaults together with her defensive backhand.
As a substitute of taking part in side-to-side, Ayhika diversified the size, forcing Yubin to play a free ball which she instantly punished.
It was her impregnable defence and fast transition into assault which surprised Yubin, who supplied hardly any resistance within the last fifth sport.
India wanted Ayhika’s providers once more within the winner-takes-all last rubber in opposition to World No. 16 Jeon Jihee and this time, she did one higher. After dropping the primary sport, the 27-year-old roared again to win the competition 3-1 (7-11, 11-6, 12-10, 12-10) and seal the match for India.
There’s numerous speak concerning the long-pimpled rubber utilized by Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula however opponents will need to research Ayhika’s anti-spin rubber too.
Her anti-spin rubber can be utilized to cut and paired with a thinner sponge, may even reverse incoming spin. The one disadvantage is that she must be immaculately exact together with her photographs.
Ayhika’s coach Soumyadeep Roy tells The Indian Categorical that she was capable of succeed as a result of she managed to gradual the sport down nicely.
“If you play in opposition to an attacking participant, it’s very troublesome to gradual the tempo. However this was her essential tactic and he or she was in a position to try this even in essential factors which is testomony to the laborious work she had put in during the last yr, each mentally and bodily.”
Talking about her anti-spin rubber, Roy stated: “It’s robust to make use of as a result of you need to have nice management over the ball. For those who play it usually, it received’t decelerate. It’s a must to shortly gauge what spin your opponent is taking part in with.”
One of many the explanation why Ayhika’s been so profitable based on Roy is as a result of she will be able to range her photographs by utilizing the identical motion.
“She will be able to hit the ball with the identical motion, from the identical peak, however the opponent received’t know the way the ball will spin or whether or not it can spin or not. It’s very troublesome for the opponent to know, which leads to them making a mistake and giving her the chance to assault,” he stated.