Unnati Hooda had played an arduous, sapping 80 minute match against Malaysian Wong Chin Lin, winning 21-14, 20-22, 21-19. The Asian Games schedule demanded she show up within three hours to play World No 6 Putri Kusuma Wardani, to prove she belongs to the elite.

Playing a sensationally gritty match, the Indian World No 24, who enters Top 20 next week, defeated the Indonesian Top Tenner 21-19, 21-13, literally forcing her opponent to crack in the face of a never-give-up attitude.

It was a sparky Saturday for the Indian contingent at the Asian Games, when squash star Anahat Singh too defeated Japanese World No 6 to make finals. Unnati though was far from the spotlight– on corner Court 4, with not even a Youtube stream. Besides, the court was playing funky with sudden drift from one side. Shuttles were stopping on blocks at the net, which Unnati used entirely to her advantage.

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“I was very clear she should come up with her own strategy because you can’t suddenly flood a player with advice,” coach Guru Saidutt sitting for her match, said. “She’s playing well so too much planning wasn’t needed. But when we told her small things, like switching serve or changing shot, she executed immediately, so the trust was there,” Guru added. In the endgame against Wong, she had been brave to flick the serve to the back when Gopichand instructed. “You have to give it to her mental strength. She was just not leaving the shuttle even when physically exhausted. It’s rare, I’ve seen it only in Saina,” Guru added.

Onto Court 4 where the evening sessions had only Guru on the coaching chair. “Even when Wardani had her moments, Unnati simply kept going, kept going. Then she would suddenly turn around and play a winner,” Guru recalls. Wardani went from 11-15 to 17-15. Unnati dragged it back on sheer persistence, going on in long rallies, undeterred by if she won or lost the point. That patience ate into Wardani’s resolve and with desperation as Unnati didn’t drop the ball, came the errors.

Not giving up when tired is what wins you matches. And Unnati used her discipline and blinkers to simply do anything to keep shuttle in play. With that she put immense pressure on Wardani who started cracking and went into survival-mode, stopping to hit her smashes altogether. After Unnati took the opener 21-19, she got even better at putting the Indonesian out of position making her work hard.

“Wardani could’ve come back. But Unnati didn’t make errors that Top players like pouncing on. Our girl held on; she didn’t leave single shuttle despite being tired,” Guru said.

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The defense was impressive. But Guru insists there’s a very handy kill-shot in her armour too. “When she gets time on backcourt, she has very good cross court smash. She’s not defensive in the sense of passive. She just played her heart out,” he described.

Though she did well in the World Championships getting to a fighting decider with Michelle Li, and even in the Teams against Tomoka Miyazaki, criticism of her awkward footwork has always follow her – the trolling merciless on social media.

Guru guffaws. “I mean, a few changes, 10-15% here and there will make her comfortable and tire her less in thevkongbrun. But both her opponents were technically solid, had great footwork. She still beat them. She has something else – ability to keep shuttle in play. Grit. Even when she is tired, she just doesn’t leave the shuttle. And that wins you matches. Footwork is alright,” he chuckled.