Joshna completes a perfect 10

The opponent fields haven’t been the strongest for all of the ten years that Joshna has won — Dipika Pallikal ranked at 29 abover her 36 opted out of this one — but Karki,partly in awe of her competitor confessed it’s the ten-timer’s independent attitude that she’d like to rub onto her the most as she goes about nurturing her own fledgling career.

It was also Chinappa’s unrelenting attitude that snuffed out whatever little hope the young Mumbai girl Karki had of counter-attacking on the day of the final at CCI here.

“I completely admire her body language on the court. She’s just there all the time,no matter who the opponent or what the situation,she’ll always punish the loose balls,and her finishing is a statement of intent in itself,” Karki said. “And she really inspires because I’ve seen her doing it all on her own – handling the travelling and winning,” she added.

Chinappa won her first national title as a 14-year-old which partly explains her phenomenal dominance of this decade,while still being only 24.

Fellow national champion Saurav Ghosal – who rounded off half a dozen of his own here with his 6th – compliments his training mate from junior years in Chennai,before they both set off to malcolm Willstrop’s academy at Leeds where they train currently. “10 is an achievement,and you’ll hear that the draws haven’t been exactly strong a few times. But that’s not her fault,she’s gone on court and given her best each time,and it’s just a great feat,” he says.

Soon after winning her title,Chinappa is summoned to referee the men’s final in a strange arrangement for the top-most domestic tournament. But as a top-level player,the Chennai girl knows she’s better equipped to call the ‘calls’ than most other.

Following in the footsteps of Misha Grewal,Bhuvaneshwari Kumari (16-time national champ) and Mekhala Subedar,Chinappa has established her dominance but wants more.

But dressed in an intimidating all-black outfit with just a touch of gold emblazoned over it while playing Karki,this national champ is an altogether different force to reckon with – no inch conceded. “I remember watching her as a 10-year-old,” remembers Saumya,adding “it was a dream to play her one day,which I managed today. Everything from her quick movement on court to flexibility to the kill-shot is worth emulating.”

Chinappa though did one other thing different from most others. “There’s talent,but most of them are 15-16. It’s left to see if they want to take this to the next level with the familiar pressures of academics and all. For me it was easy,I knew at 12,this is what I wanted to do.” And she wanted to do it all well,and all on her own.