New Delhi, Jan 14 : Former World No.1 PV Sindhu began her year with a win over Sung Shuo Yun of Chinese Taipei 21-14, 22-20 in a 51-minute encounter in the women's singles Round of 32 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Tuesday. The two-time Olympic medallist is aiming for a successful 2025 badminton season, transitioning from personal training to group coaching, and has joined forces with Indian women's singles coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama ahead of the India Open.

The recently-married Sindhu opened up on her initial experience with the new coach and believes it's just a matter of time till she regains her top level.

"It's been pretty good, we have trained for only one and a half weeks, and we did not get much time. There were a lot of ups and downs last year but I ended with a good win and I think it gave me confidence and I feel it's just a matter of time till I get back there. Obviously, it does not matter when you win or lose, just give your 100 percent and you will get success," said Sindhu to reporters.

Sindhu, playing her first tournament after getting married in December last year, struggled with her rhythm during the 51-minute clash against an opponent who plays both singles and doubles but upped the tempo when required to win 21-14, 22-20 in the opening round of the tournament.

The second set was a close call for Sindhu but the shuttler from Hyderabad pulled through what she described as an intense encounter.

"I think the game is very important when the score is tied at 18-18 and it was very intense. She was making sure that she played everything on the court and made long rallies. She was trying to keep the shuttle down, making it difficult for me to attack, the game became faster, and at 20-20 it was anybody's game. I wanted to make sure I attacked," she added.

Sindhu also opened up on the importance of sealing the game in two sets.

"Everybody wants to finish in two sets, the third set takes unnecessary energy, you get tense, you want to play with unforced errors and obviously I wanted to finish it off and hopefully get more rest for the next game," she said.

/IANS