For Isharani Baruah, repeatedly leaving shuttles landing inside baseline, is concerning’ – Coach Vimal Kumar

“Isharani had Chen Yufei on the ropes at the Uber Cup—and let her off. At 20–19, a missed sitter. At this level, that’s the match,” he said. There are specific areas where the pattern of misses has become apparent to him. “The concern is deeper. Repeatedly leaving shuttles that are landing well inside the baseline and basic errors at the net—it’s not bad luck, it’s poor judgement under pressure. And it’s becoming a pattern,” he said. Sometimes, the shuttles landed well inside the court – by nearly a foot. “This is not an isolated issue; it has been a recurring pattern, and at this level, such lapses are difficult to recover from,” he said.

Vimal said she had the talent, but the execution had been going wrong too often. “She put up a commendable performance against Chen Yufei in the second singles. She moved well, stayed with Chen through long rallies, and matched her shot for shot for most of the opening game. In fact, she had a real chance to take the first game when she held game point at 20–19. Missing a relatively easy opportunity at that stage proved costly.”

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Top players pounce on these opportunities, and China could’ve been put under pressure, he said.

“At this level, especially in team events, moments like these are decisive. Winning the first game against a higher-ranked opponent can completely shift the momentum, not just for the player but for the entire team. That was a genuine opportunity which slipped away.

“Similarly, her shot selection and execution at the net—particularly on routine, basic exchanges—need urgent attention. These are controllable aspects of the game, and tightening them could significantly improve her consistency and match outcomes,” he believed.

At 22, ranked No 38, she needed to nail finishes, Vimal thought. “This is a crucial phase in her career. She has the movement, the ability, and the temperament to compete at the highest level, but converting these close situations into wins is what will define her progress on the world stage.”

Vimal thought the other youngsters too had slipped up opportunities, in the earlier tie. “India’s loss to Denmark tells the same story. Unnati Hooda and Tanvi Sharma had their chances and didn’t take them. At the highest level, you either convert or you exit.”

India just couldn’t catch a break against China. Sindhu lost 16-21, 21-19, 19-21 from 18-12 up in the decider, while Devika Sihag too couldn’t keep her levels high, losing to World No 97 Xu Wen Jing, 21-19, 17-21, 10-21, as her defense against plain accuracy from the Chinese, crumbled.

“These are learning moments, but also reminders of how fine the margins are at this level,” he said summing up the Uber Cup exit before quarters, the first such, since 2018.