Blistering aggression has given way to stamina-testing rallies in women’s singles badminton, says ace Indian shuttler P V Sindhu, who is reinventing her game to keep pace with the evolving tempo while navigating a challenging lean phase. This year has been far from ideal for the two-time Olympic-medallist. She has endured four first-round exits and three second-round losses, with a lone quarter-final appearance at the India Open in Jan being a rare bright spot.

‘Defence is more important’

“The women’s singles [competition] has completely changed. Initially it was more of attack and fast rallies, [now] it has become much more defensive with long rallies and long matches,” Sindhu told reporters at the Sports Authority of India Centre here. The former world champion, currently training under Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama for close to six months, is making subtle yet significant adjustments to her game.