Anand Pawar confident of beating higher-ranked players

Mumbai’s Anand Pawar is a happy shuttler, the joy coming from his second Scottish Open victory in Glasgow last Sunday after having won it for the first time in 2010.

“I always feel very comfortable playing in Glasgow and seem to get good results, so I’m glad I could do that,” Pawar told DNA after returning to his training base in Aarhus, Denmark. The win has come as a boost for the 55th-ranked player who has otherwise been making early exits in the Super Series events this year. Pawar is working on under legendary Morten Frost in Denmark.

“Yes, there have been some early exits in the Super Series events this year. But I feel I’ve been playing many of the top 10 players like Lee Chong Wei, Chen Jin, Sho Sasaki, Simon Santoso and Nguyen Tien Minh in the first round itself and have gotten very close to beating most of them.

“I know where I’m falling short and am working on those points so I can be ready the next time I face them. Winning this tournament has been a big confidence booster.”

The Glasgow win should take him into the top 50. Pawar said Frost’s training methods are “focussed on technique and improving the quality of shots at a good pace”. “In Asia, there is more attention on the physical aspect of the game so I feel it is good for me to have the right blend of both,” he said.

The 26-year-old Pawar’s next two tournaments will be Korea Super Series Premier and Malaysia Badminton Open in January 2013.