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Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Why badminton rankings don't matter but titles do
What was PV Sindhu ranked when she won silver at Rio Olympics? It somehow assumes irrelevance when you register that she beat Wang Yihan, Tai Tzu-ying and Nozomi Okuhara to make finals. That she never reached World No 1 while winning 2 Olympic medals and 5 World Championship medals including a World title, will remain confounding always. But it doesn't blot her legacy one bit. That, India's most recent World No 1s Kidambi Srikanth and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are still searching for their first Olympic medal and second Worlds podium is as boggling. They of course reached World No 1 by winning several Tour titles, and will forever hold that citation of sitting atop the global charts. But as salves go, the top rank might not quite make up for a medal, a keepsake, a high point. Sure, something in the wind learnt their names, but they can't quite say things were never quite the same. This week, Satwik-Chirag beat the World No 1s while themselves being ranked No 27. For the memories imprinted – it's special because they have had a torrid six months past – their march into the Singapore semis will be remembered more starkly than how the rank dipped to 27. Yet, it's a sombre, sobering week – for the first time since 2009, no Indian will be in Top 10 and that low-key hurts the sport which is reeling under stagnation, with top names struggling to make breakthroughs at big events. Lakshya Sen and Satwik-Chirag are grappling with injuries and setbacks, it is unclear if Sindhu is up for the second fight with ageing impediments to movements though her issues seem to be more tactical. But the assurance of a Top 10 holding place for seedings has vamoozed. HS Prannoy and Srikanth are staring at tough draws too, not to mention qualifying grind having plummeted in rankings. Treesa-Gayatri- though with plenty of time on their side and no urgency really in the post-Olympic season – have the perennial pressure of keeping that Top 10 rank, and constantly proving themselves if titles don't fetch up. Women's tennis once faced a scalding phase where the World No 1s were without Grand Slam success, and the consistency in reaching top of rankings only brought them grief and ridicule with constantly being told they had won no Majors. Sindhu's 2019 title more or less made that high of World No 2 or missing the No 1 inconsequential. Men's doubles in badminton has had at least a dozen World No 1s in the last 5 years, and consistency is wretchedly elusive. No one can hold onto World No 1 because forms dip, and so Satwik-Chirag weren't unduly stressed by dropping out of Top 20. Badminton's relentless circuit means keeping high rankings for years on end needs a constant commitment to hit the high notes – which remains difficult given the punishing grind of back to back competition weeks. It is not uncommon for someone to win a title on Sunday and then exit on Wednesday or Thursday, and scarcely frowned upon even. Some like Viktor Axelsen just naturally prioritised the bulk of Super 1000s and Super 750s, though bunched up tournaments took a toll on their bodies. Even as recovery techniques have improved exponentially, it is highly unlikely anyone stays at the top for seasons together. An Se-young has extended phases of brilliance, but then needs chunks of breaks too. For what it's worth, Chen Yufei, Akane Yamaguchi, Carolina Marin and Tai Tzu-ying have spent a good number of weeks as World No 1, but weren't unduly stressed about slipping down when heading into any tournaments. However, it needs the sort of mindset and attitude of Satwik-Chirag or Sindhu or even HS Prannoy to convince yourself that draws and seedings don't matter if you are ready for 5-6 days of grind. Prannoy in fact proved rankings are no big deal when he brought down Axelsen at the World Championships in 2023 in quarterfinals. Some would say, Sindhu and Srikanth and even Lakshya Sen are better off playing the Top 3 early in a week, when the exhaustion hasn't compounded. Some of Sindhu's better matches – albeit losses – have come in early rounds, though she would easily trade her resilience of lasting 5 days and maintaining intensity till the end of 2017-2019 for the 'tough-luck defeats'. Opponent Ranking-agnostic all her early career, her inability to beat the big names hurts her now. India being completely out of Top 10 after 16 long years is concerning but the prevalent emotion will be rightfully upbeat with Srikanth making Malaysia finals, and Satwik-Chirag entering weekend warfare at Singapore – business end of tournaments. The truest value of rankings isn't quite where the Indians reach, but what rankings scalps they snare and how deep they get into tournaments. Those calculations figure themselves out, and are best left to AI models. The Indian who will get most tormented by trolls on rankings will be Lakshya Sen, with his batchmate Kunlavut Vitidsarn climbing to World No 1. These things can play on the athlete's minds, but there's just one Stat he ought to remember. The great Lin Dan was World No 1 for 194 weeks; Lee Chong Wei for 349 weeks. Both are modern greats, but everyone knows who was GOAT. Rankings are all very nice, but only titles matter. P.S: Sindhu was ranked World No 10 when she won silver at Rio.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Bittersweet debut: Sachin Yadav gives Arshad Nadeem tough fight to win silver but misses direct World Championships qualification
After the first four throws, it looked like Sachin Yadav would not finish on the podium in his first-ever international tournament. The young javelin thrower failed to hit the 80m mark and was out of the podium spots, having managed a best throw of just 79.65m; his other throws read 74.05m, 72.07m, 77.37m). Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, meanwhile, led with 85.57m. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he turned things around. In his fifth attempt, Yadav came up with an 83.08m throw, which helped him to jump to the second spot. And then, in his final attempt, he nailed a new personal best throw of 85.16m to win a silver medal on his international debut. Nadeem, meanwhile, claimed the gold medal with an 86.40m throw in his final attempt. 'My body was a little tight in the first three throws. In between, I asked fellow thrower Yash Vir to help relax my muscles. That is when the body started responding, and I threw beyond 80m in my fifth attempt,' Yadav said. 'I am happy with the personal best, but I am not satisfied with this performance. I missed out on World Championships qualification, which I will try to achieve in the upcoming tournaments,' he added. Yadav's coach, Naval Singh, is not happy with the performance and believes that the thrower can be consistent towards the 85m mark. 'Mujhe bilkul bhi khushi nahi hai uske performance ki (I am not happy with his performance). Since the day we arrived in Korea, he was throwing much better in the practice throws. His body was a little stiff during the competition. During the throws, I talked to him and reminded him that he has practised well to achieve those distances,' Naval told The Indian Express over a phone call from Korea. 'He can go beyond the 85m mark consistently, but the weather and conditions were a little different for him as this is his first international trip,' Naval added further. When asked if Yadav was under pressure of facing Olympic champion Nadeem, Naval said, 'Both the throwers were hovering around the 85m mark, and he (Arshad) won it in the last throw. If Sachin had started well, I am sure he would have gone beyond Arshad's mark by the last throw.' Yadav had set the target of qualification for the World Championships through this tournament, but he missed the qualification mark set by World Athletics by 34 cm. 'I am returning with a medal and a new personal best. I will go back and continue my training. I injured my ankle earlier this year, and then a shoulder injury also came along. It was one of the reasons I couldn't train very well,' Yadav said. 'I haven't set any timeline to achieve the world championships qualification, I just want to throw my best in the next competition I play.' After returning from Korea, the thrower will travel to Finland to compete in three competitions, trying to achieve the direct qualification. 'Since we have set the target of qualifying for the Worlds, we will achieve it. We have got permission from the Athletics' Federation of India to participate in these events,' Naval Singh confirmed. In the recent months, Yadav has emerged as India's number two in the javelin throw behind World champion Neeraj Chopra. The 25-year-old from Uttar Pradesh started the 2025 season with a personal best of 84.39m at the National Games in Dehradun. However, he sustained an ankle injury in his blocking leg during the same event and performed poorly at the India Open Throws. He returned with 83.86m at the Federation Cup in Kochi before travelling to Korea.
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Zdeno Chara was surprised to be elected to the IIHF Hall of Fame, but he shouldn't have been
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Clearly, if not Chara for such an honor, then who? Advertisement The Slovak-born strongman played his final NHL game three years ago at age 45, his 1,680 regular-season games ranking seventh in league history and No. 1 among defensemen. His name is on the Stanley Cup as a Bruin (2011) and he was awarded the Norris Trophy in 2009 as that season's top blue liner. He spent 14 years as Bruins captain, instilling and curating a culture woven into the club's three trips to the Cup Final (2011, '13, and '19) during his tenure. Advertisement Chara also captained two Slovak national squads that won silver medals at the Worlds, and three times wore his country's colors at the Olympic Games (2006, '10, '14). So it should have been zero surprise when International Ice Hockey Federation president Luc Tardif called a couple of months ago to welcome Chara to this year's class. Yet it was a surprise, to Chara. 'I said, 'Whoa! I mean, are you sure?,' said Big Z, chuckling as he related his back and forth with Tardif. 'And he said, 'Yeah, of course … it's been voted on … you're in!' ' Related : To help understand that response, understand Chara — not only for his genuinely unassuming nature and presence, but particularly for the unconventional path he traveled to the summit of his profession. Decades ago in Trencin, as a gangly and athletically awkward young teenager, his dream was not to play in the NHL or one day see his name placed next to the game's greatest European players. 'I was cut … and cut again … all I wanted to do was make my hometown team!' recalled an animated Chara. 'You move up by age groups, right? And that's automatic … good or bad, you move up. But as you progress, teams bring together two or three age groups [different birth years], that's where the cuts start and I didn't make it. Not good enough.' In part, that underappreciation of his game and skills was what led Chara, at considerable peril, to defect to North America in the fall of '96. After the Islanders took a third-round flyer on him (pick No. 56) in the '96 draft, Chara thrived in his one season of top-level Canadian junior hockey with WHL Prince George and made his NHL debut some 18 months later. Advertisement 'Nov. 19th, 1997,' he said, recalling his NHL debut, with Mike Milbury then the Islanders' coach. The date sticks in Chara's head largely because his ascension to the league, just over a year after departing Slovakia amid zero fanfare, by his description caught the Slovak national team by total surprise. 'Everybody at home is like, 'Who?! … We have a Slovak defensemen in NHL?!' ' he said, again chuckling, this time over how he ultimately was invited to play for Slovakia in the 1999 Worlds. ''We gotta bring him back to play for us.' Remember, I didn't make any youth national team, right? They had no data, no track of me.' A complicating factor in Chara suiting up that first time for his country was that he had defected, opting for a shot at big-time hockey in North America instead of serving mandatory military service. 'I'd call home,' recalled Chara, 'and my dad would say, 'The military police were just here, looking for you … you better not come home or they'll lock you up.' ' Before flying out of New York for his return to Bratislava in the spring of '99, he had to be assured he wouldn't be hauled away once landing on Slovak terra firma. 'I swear, it was like a scene from a movie,' he said, recalling how he felt after he got off the plane back home. 'There's this one belt going around with my bag on it and I see this glass sliding door … and it's opening and closing, opening and closing. And I see this officer behind those doors. I have my passport in my hand, and I'm thinking, 'OK, this could be it … I pass through that door and somebody puts handcuffs on me and I'm done. Are the Islanders going to bail me out? Maybe, who knows?' I knew I had papers from the national team … I knew I should be OK, but…' Advertisement He made it through the door just fine, and nearly three decades later, his name has been added to the IIHF's honored section at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The HHOF votes on its candidates for this year's inductees June 24, and Chara is a virtual lock to be named to the class that will be feted in November. 'If it happens it happens,' he said. 'Obviously, I'd be very, very grateful, But again, like IIHF, I know there's so many names that deserve to be there and, rightfully, they have so many great candidates that should be there. If I am there … we'll see, that's up to others to decide. Right now, I'm just enjoying my life, being a dad … but yes, it would be a tremendous, tremendous honor.' Chara played his final NHL game three years ago at age 45, his 1,680 regular-season games ranking seventh in league history and No. 1 among all defensemen. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff LONG DROUGHT Canada Cupless since 1993 The question in the 1980s and '90s of whether the NHL would thrive in the Sun Belt faded into the twilight by the end of the 20th century, Dallas winning the Stanley Cup in 1999 (six games vs. Buffalo) in what remains Texas's lone star Cup. If anyone still held the romantic notion that the game is best served cold, the state of Florida has smashed such thoughts to smithereens. With the Panthers clinching the East for a third straight year after Advertisement Canada, largely due to the Oilers' powerhouse squads throughout the '80s, saw one of its teams reach the Cup Final in nine consecutive seasons, 1982-90, culminating with Since that last Oiler triumph, a Canadian team has squeezed through to the final only eight times, with the lone win in those 35 years by the Canadiens (1993). It may be Canada's game, but this drought of 30-plus years is by far the longest in its history. The list of Canadian runners up since '93 consists of: Vancouver ('94), Calgary (2004), Edmonton ('06), Ottawa ('07), Vancouver ('11), If the Oilers can close the deal now, it will be the longest distance a Canadian team has gone to get the job done. Air miles, Edmonton to Sunrise, Fla.: 2,546. ETC. Verhaeghe worth the wait Former Bruins captain Brad Marchand , wearing No. 63 for the Panthers, is headed to the Cup Final for a fourth time (with Boston in '11, '13, and '19). The Li'l Ball o'Hate, 4-10—14 in 17 playoff games this year, has suited up for 174 postseason games. Among active NHLers, his four trips to a Cup Final leave him short of only Edmonton's Corey Perry , about to begin the sixth championship round in his career. Carter Verhaeghe , Marchand's fellow Sunriser, also will be playing in his fourth Cup Final, his third with the Panthers. His first came in his 2019-20 rookie season, when the Lightning won the title. Advertisement Verhaeghe, originally a Maple Leafs draft pick (No. 82 in 2013), didn't break through to the NHL until he played four full seasons in the minors (AHL/ECHL), his talents underappreciated or ignored by three organizations — Leafs, Islanders, and Lightning — before he finally secured a full-time spot as a low-budget UFA (two years/$2 million total) with the now-powerhouse Panthers. All players develop at different rates. Some just need time to grow their game. Sometimes it's simply about right team/right fit. It was some of both for Verhaeghe, who'll possibly have his name on the Cup for a third time when he celebrates his 30th birthday in August. A left-shot center able to play the wing, he has become a consistent, vital piece of the Panthers attack. Verhaeghe in the fall will enter the first season of an eight-year, $56 million deal he signed with Florida in October. He has full trade protection for the first five years. Just the kind of glue guy Toronto so desperately needs. But the Leafs gave up on him early, bundling him into a package with four others in exchange for Michael Grabner in September 2015. Grabner played one season with Toronto, collected 18 points, then signed with the Rangers as a free agent. Carter Verhaeghe gathers the loose puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Karl B DeBlaker/Associated Press Swayman high on Warsofsky Jeremy Swayman's read on Ryan Warsofsky , the Team USA bench boss at the world championship that concluded last Sunday: 'Since [the time] I walked through the door, he was incredible.' Warsofsky, who'll begin his second season as the Sharks coach this fall, was raised in Marshfield and played high school hockey for his hometown Rams, followed by a season at Cushing Academy. He moved into the top job in San Jose last summer after two years as one of David Quinn's assistant coaches. Related : With Swayman in net for Warsofsky, 'I've got nothing to say but great things about Warsy,' offered Swayman, 'the way he carried himself and he's just so well spoken. I think he takes over a room very well. Every one of the guys in there would do anything he asked — and it takes a special kind of human to get 25 or 30 guys all on the same page within three weeks. That's a testament to his coaching ability and his style.' Credit, too, added Swayman, to the entire Team USA staff for such a successful effort, including adapting to the bigger (200x100 feet) European/Olympic ice sheet. 'And you're playing against guys, a lot of them who've been playing with each other for a long time,' continued the Bruins' backstop. 'They have their game plans, know how to play on the [bigger sheet]. To see [Warsofsky] articulate the game and get us to play to our strengths … every one of us knew that we could have a serious chance of winning with him at the helm. 'That's something I'll never forget from him — and he's stuck with me for life now. We're pretty tight … that's pretty cool.' With Swayman in net, the US won its first World gold since 1933. Petr David Josek/Associated Press Shopping list The July 1 unrestricted free agent list includes 17 players, including Marchand and the Oilers' Trent Frederic , who were once property of the Bruins. The list also includes Ryan Lindgren , drafted by Boston at No. 49 in 2016, but dealt to the Rangers (for Rick Nash ) before ever wearing the Spoked B. A look at the pending UFAs, including their most recent team and cap hit (by descending order): Forwards: Marchand, Florida $6.125 million; Reilly Smith , Vegas, $5 million; Sean Kuraly , Columbus, $2.5 million; Frederic, Edmonton, $2.3M; Ryan Donato , Chicago, $2 million; Pat Maroon , Chicago, $1.3 million; Craig Smith , Detroit, $1 million; Curtis Lazar , New Jersey, $1 million; James van Riemsdyk , Columbus, $900,000; Tomas Nosek , Florida, $775,000; Cole Koepke , Boston, $775,000; Justin Brazeau , Minnesota, $775,000. Defensemen: Dmitry Orlov , Carolina, $7.75 million; Lindgren, Colorado, $4.5 million; Matt Grzelcyk , Pittsburgh, $2.75 million; Derek Forbort , Vancouver, $1.5 million; Mike Reilly , NY Islanders, $1.25 million. It's not out of the question that two or three alums could be offered deals to return. Keep in mind, the Bruins were negotiating with Marchand before Donato, 29, is coming off a career season (31-31—62) with the moribund Blackhawks (five consecutive playoff DNQs). That kind of goal production should bring him at least $4 million a year for 3-4 years. The Bruins need goal production, and Donato, who played at Harvard, was still on good terms here when dealt to the Wild for Charlie Coyle ( Grzelcyk, 31, delivered 1-39—40 (career bests for assists and points) this season with the Penguins , who are yet to name a new coach to replace Mike Sullivan . He would not answer the Bruins' need for a power-play quarterback, but he's a good puck mover and defends well with his feet and stick. Maybe two years/$5 million total? Kuraly, 32, left to go home to Columbus in the summer of '21 for a sweet four-year/$10 million deal. A solid citizen with size (6 feet 2 inches, 215 pounds), he'd be a good, heavy bottom-six addition on a one- or two-year deal at, say, $1.4 million per. Maroon, by the way, announced his retirement as his season came to a close with the Blackhawks — his eighth NHL employer over a career that included 848 games and three Cup rings. Loose pucks Marco Sturm , then 27, proved to be the best of the three assets (along with Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart ) the Bruins acquired from San Jose in the infamous Nov. 30, 2005, deal that sent Jumbo Joe Thornton to the Sharks. Also known as 'The German,' Sturm remained in Boston for four more seasons, then was dished to the Kings early in 2010-11, in what was the season the Bruins won the Cup. Among the candidates believed to be interviewing to be the next Bruins bench boss, Sturm, 46, in the spring wrapped up his third season as coach of the Ontario (Calif.) Reign, the Kings' AHL affiliate. They were knocked out, 2-0, in a best-of-three vs. the San Jose Barracuda in the Calder Cup playoffs … Thornton, like Zdeno Chara , has been out of the NHL for three seasons and likely will be a first-ballot shoo-in to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Jumbo (1,539 career points) never won a Cup. His only trip to the Final was in '16, Henri Richard (Montreal), Jean Beliveau (Montreal), Red Kelly (Detroit, Toronto), Maurice 'Rocket' Richard (Montreal). Henri Richard, aka The Pocket Rocket, took home a ring from 11 of those 12 visits … Former forward Jeff Halpern (976 games) just wrapped up his seventh season as one of John Cooper's assistants in Tampa. Seems the Lightning's two Cups and three trips to the Final with him on the beat should be getting the '99 Princeton grad some head coach looks … The rumor mill in recent days has had Mitch Love (Capitals assistant), Jay Woodcroft , and Sturm all certain to be the Bruins' next coach. With apologies to Chief Brody, looks like you're gonna need a bigger bench. Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at
Metro
3 days ago
- Sport
- Metro
Phil Taylor helps Luke Humphries beat Luke Littler to Premier League Darts title
Luke Humphries thanked Phil Taylor for his 'advice and support' after he beat rival Luke Littler 11-8 to become the 2025 Premier League Darts champion. In a repeat of last year's final – which Littler won – Humphries got revenge on The Nuke to secure his first Premier League Darts title at London's O2 Arena. The pair have shared better quality matches but Humphries recovered from a shaky start to power past the current world champion. Humphries, the 2024 world champion, beat Nathan Aspinall in the semi-finals, while Littler saw off Gerwyn Price by the same scoreline. The Premier League was the only major trophy still alluding Humphries and he said lifting the trophy 'meant the world to him'. Humphries, 30, also revealed he beat 18-year-old Littler to the title with the help of 16-time world champion Taylor. 'This one means the world to me, that was the one I was missing,' Humphries told Sky Sports. 'It was the one I wanted, I have done it now. 'If I don't win another title, I am happy as I have done the three hardest ones to do. 'Phil Taylor has given me a lot of support over the last couple of weeks so, Phil, if you are watching, thank you. He have me a lot of advice and that extra support. 'The Premier League is the hardest one to win. The Worlds is prestigious but this is very close to winning the Worlds. 'You can't have four or five bad weeks, you have to be good for 16 weeks on the trot. You have to be at your best.' On Premier League runner-up Littler, Humphries added: 'I love Luke to bits. He is one of my best mates on tour and he is so good. 'He wasn't at his best tonight, neither was I. I thought the game was going to go away from me at 3-0 down. 'He is a great player, a great lad, and I will get in early before he trounces everyone.' Littler topped the Premier League Darts table with a record-breaking 27 victories but failed to hit his top form in the final. 'No one likes losing but I am fine,' he said. 'I am glad to say it's over as it has been a tough 17 weeks. 'I have set many records and I don't think they will be broken. I am going to try and break my own records next season. 'I will have a little break now. I will be back next year.' Reacting to Humphries' Premier League victory, former player and popular commentator Wayne Mardle said: 'Luke is an absolute champion on and off the oche. More Trending 'You will not meet a kinder soul in this game. He has done it the hard way tonight.' Ex-Premier League champion Glen Durrant added: 'Cool Hand was amazing there. 'The respect that Luke Littler gave him has to be commended. It was a slow burner from Luke Humphries but try to take that smile off his face now. 'There's great respect between the pair of them and I'm sure we will have many more finals.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Premier League Darts final 2025: Prize money, start time, format and schedule MORE: Gerwyn Price makes prediction ahead of Luke Littler Premier League Darts clash MORE: Luke Littler fires back at rival claiming he is heading for early retirement
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Nathan Aspinall reveals what Premier League run has done for him and his game
The Stockport star achieved a lifetime darts ambition by making the big night at London's O2 Arena Positive Nathan Aspinall is adamant his run to the semi-finals of the BetMGM Premier League have set him up to fly for the rest of the year. The Stockport star achieved a lifetime darts ambition by making the big night at London's O2 Arena for a last-four clash against Luke Humphries. Unfortunately for Aspinall, Cool Hand proved too strong with the World No.1 securing a 10-7 success to reach the Final against Luke Littler. But the 33-year-old believes the 16-week run to the showpiece stands him in superb stead for the remainder of the campaign. Aspinall said: 'Yeah, I think already the Premier League's helped me, set me up for the rest of the year. "The performances that I've put in, the results I've got, it's given me the belief that I can still win at the highest level. 'We all know what I've got to defend in a couple of months, but apart from the Matchplay, there's nothing else to defend all year. "I got beat first round in the Worlds two years ago as well. I've always had the belief in my own ability. "The people around me always say that when I play in the Premier League, I'm playing regular against the best of the best all the time and it makes my game go higher and higher. "And I think that's what's happened. I'm more consistent now than I've been in probably the last two years and that's because I'm playing the best every single Thursday night. So it's been a big year for me so far.' Aspinall feels he has more heights to hit and added: 'I don't think I'm playing anywhere near my best. I'm averaging in the hundreds, regularly. "I'm having a couple of 103s, 104s, but then 95s, 96s. So, I think level-wise, it's nowhere near my best that I've played. "But I think I'm more consistent now than I've been over the last few years. "I very rarely average under 94, 95 now, which I know the big numbers getting produced week in, week out, but that's still world-class starts if you're doing that in the biggest stages of all, so I know where my game's at. 'There's still loads more to do, a lot more in the tank, a lot of work that I need to put in to get my game back to the pinnacle, but at the moment, especially with everything that's been going on this year, I'm very happy with where my game's at. "I think people worry too much about averages. I think maybe I'm 1.8 off the fourth or something like that over, what, 50 games. "It's absolutely nothing. I actually worry about how I feel on that stage and how I play.' I think I have a mentality to win when I'm not playing my best or my opponent's not playing their best, or if they're playing well, I'll find a way to pull something out the backside, a big shot or something like that..'
