India's star shuttler and Rio Olympic silver-medallist PV Sindhu said it wouldn't be a smooth-sailing ride to a podium finish as the top 10 players in women's singles event are of the same calibre, with anyone capable of springing a surprise.
"I'm ready for the element of surprise during Tokyo Olympics. It wouldn't be easy to earn a podium finish as all the leading players in women's singles event are of the same ability," said the 25-year-old during an online media interaction on Thursday.
Sindhu is the only Indian to have qualified for Olympics in women's singles event. She felt the breathing space following the cancellation of tournaments due to pandemic has provided her with an opportunity to reinvent her skills. "I'm focussed and all the hard work would enable me to tackle my opponents in Japan," said the 2019 World champion.
The Hyderabad-based shuttler reckoned the Japanese players wouldn't enjoy home advantage since the pressure of Olympics is different from other global competitions. "When it comes to Olympics, I don't think the home team would have an edge over others. All top players have different styles of play and that makes the situation unpredictable. On a given day, anyone can spring a surprise," she explained.
Sindhu said she is more experienced than she was four years ago when she bagged the historic silver at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. "I'm better in all aspects of the game. Hope that would be an advantage," she added.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)