Is Unnati Hooda the successor to Saina and Sindhu?

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Sports analysts have long been hunting for the successor to Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, without much success. Among the possible candidates, youngster Unnati Hooda of Rohtak has left her mark with her fearless game and panache.

Hooda has recently been selected for the Uber Cup and had several successesincluding an impressive performance at the Asian U-17 event last week where she made it to the finals, but lost to SarunrakVitidsarn with a score of 18-21, 21-9, and 14-21.The final was a learning experience for Hooda, as Vitidsarn has a steady and safe technique, and has garnered many awards for her age, while Unnati is still a junior with some vulnerabilities in her technique, along with a brave approach.

Furthermore, Hooda still has to improve on her backhand low defense, her lunge towards the net, and the technique needed to tackle mid-court shots. However, her strengths that have already shone through including her ability to hit deep shots to the backcourt that can push opponents back, while also criss-crossing her shots across the court.

Unnati has also demonstrated a feisty spirit so far and was able to recover from 5-11 up to 14-14 in the third set. The ability to stage a comeback will be key to her performances later. An unfortunate exchange between her and the chair umpire, however, affected the youngster’s focus and she subsequently lost all points to the level-headed Sarunrak, who finally won the match. To truly be Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu’s successor, Unnati thus needs to work on both her technical and mental game.