After playing sidekick to Jwala, Ponnappa ready to play lead with new partner Pradnya.

Ashwini Ponnappa, not dressed in her usual badminton attire, had to curb her inclination to smash the shuttle as hard as possible. She is known for possessing one of the strongest smashes in the game but at that moment India’s doubles specialist was playing knocks at Jamnabai Narsee School with a couple of novices who posed no challenge.

This may have been an exhibition match for Ponnappa, who during her partnership with Jwala Gutta was always the inexperienced half of a killer pair, but now that she is started playing with a Pradnya Gadre the ‘new senior partner’ of the pair will have to be more cautious in her approach, especially with the World Championships around the corner.

“It was a different experience playing with Jwala. She was a very calm player and very confident. I was young and very temperamental, so naturally it rubbed off on me. However, those days are gone. I don’t have much leeway to act that way. Pradnya is fairly raw, though she can hold her own I do now have to take the initiative and guide her. She has to know that it is all about having fun in your match,” Ashwini told Mirrorfrom the sidelines of an Indian Badminton League event.

The duo of Ashwini and Jwala were unpredictable and not consistent but they had a knack of winning at the big stage. Whether it be gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games or a bronze at the World Championship in 2011 they grabbed it all but the partnership eventually had to end after the an unsuccessful Olympics.

She now goes to the World Championships in Guangzhou, China, with a new partner and a new outlook on how she plays. In the old days she usually stuck to the back of the court looking to smash anything that came her way, knowing that Jwala would be handling business upfront. She now has to control the pace of the game. This means playing closer to the net and rather than smashes she would have to increase of repertoire.

“I was always a little nervous around the net and with my dribbling but now I have to be ready to take up the challenge and I feel confident. I am playing mixed doubles as well and with that I have to keep up my fitness and that has made me a better player. I can now go into matches with much more confidence.”

source: http://www.mumbaimirror.com / Mumbai Mirror / Home> Sport> Others / by Sandeep Narayan / July 16th, 2013