Because not many looked past her pre-quarterfinal against World No 2, it might be a giddy and vertiginous thought to keep swirling in the head. That, having reached her 8th World Championships quarterfinals of her life, the path ahead could be Putri Wardani > Han Yue / Akane Yamaguchi into the final for PV Sindhu after she sensationally evicted Wang Zhi Yi from the Paris World’s.Wardani might actually be the trickiest – upcoming, hustling, busybee and slightly unpredictable.But after all the hoo-ha about rankings dies down, Indians might finally start to consider that for their most illustrious shuttler ever, with 5 World Championship medals, a pre-quarter might not be the ultimate destination, even if it’s against the Chinese. The medal-hunt actually starts now. At least Sindhu thought Wang Zhi Yi was par for course, as far as her abilities go.Speaking to BWF after the win, Sindhu gave the wider lens, the bigger picture of this Paris outing, where the Chinese, no matter her ranking, was a stepping stone. At least her preparation didn’t fixate on Zhi Yi. Bigger fish to fry. “For me, it was like any other player, because when I went into the court, I knew it’s not going to be easy, and World Championships, from the first round, it’s never easy. You have to fight for every point, every rally, so for me also, it was like any other player,” she said.Of course, Wang Zhi Yi is a top athlete, Sindhu acknowledged, and has had a very good run on the Tour. “But I was not thinking that in my mind, it was a complete, altogether fresh match, because I played with her in the past, and we’ve had two-two wins each, so I had to be just consistent and keep the shuttle in the court, because I know that there will be long rallies, and it will be a long match, and I think I was focusing on that, where I have to keep the shuttle in the court, and keep scoring points,” she said.The French, not recklessly, dub a lot of things ‘banal.’ It comes from a call up for compulsory feudal service, and is hence ‘common to all.’ Not intended to denigrate, but Wang Zhi Yi, as a rival, was as banal as they come. She was in red hot form, but in the Sindhu universe, she’s beaten greater shuttlers before. All the names, big and small, Sindhu respects by pouring in equal intensity – Nalbantova, Letshanaa, Zhi Yi and next, Wardani.The Sindhu consistency at Worlds is based on erasing reputations – or lack thereof – and plodding on. So, Zhi Yi simply ran into a furiously focussed Sindhu, doing her World Championships thing. Finding ways to win. “Even though I was leading in the first, she didn’t give up, and she came back, so it was important to fight for every point, and overall, yesterday I knew that I was playing against Zhi Yi, so irrespective of the result, I just went into the court thinking that I need to give my 100%, and that’s all that matters,” she told BWF.Story continues below this adTypically, that means Sindhu is alert for every projectile – gentle floater or curveball. “I was prepared for everything, I was prepared for long rallies, and also she was sometimes changing the speed, playing those long rallies, and then she was hitting those half smashes. It was important to be on my feet every time, because she has those surprising shots at times, where from down, she just plays those cross shots, or gives those really deep half smashes. I was always quick on my feet, and of course my coach also was mentioning that, I need to be prepared for everything,” the 30-year-old, ranked outside of 10 said.While the world was finding new vocabulary to tell her she was old now, at 30 (even “finished” was used), Sindhu was chipping away at her sharp mistakes. “I always focused on the way I was training, focusing on what mistakes I was doing in the past, I was actually working on them, and coming into the tournament, I was thinking that for me, just one match mattered, it’s just one match at a time for me, and I think each match is very important, because you never know.”Persistent failure on the Tour can be glossed over with a Forbes Top 10 earnings spot and a bottomless well of motivation to win – it’s a wicked combo actually. Competing and preparing without stress, can be quite rewarding. “There were matches where things have changed here and there, but I think for me, each match mattered, I never thought about 2 rounds ahead or 1 round ahead, like even now, focusing on just today’s match, or let’s say yesterday, I was just focusing on that particular match, irrespective of the ranking that they had, so coming into the tournament, for me, I just thought to myself that, I have to just put in what I have learnt, what I have actually done in the practice, and that’s what I have to do, and that’s all that mattered for me,” she explained.For those up ahead, she blew a casual whistle, not a war bugle. “So in this tournament, for me, it’s not over yet, and I think I need to come back tomorrow, much more stronger, and be prepared for everything.”Story continues below this adShe clarified that she doesn’t focus solely on the World’s, but things invariably peak and click towards that end. “Obviously there’s not much to prove, I have proved (everything), but I think at the end of the day, sometime last year, or this year, in the beginning, it was not a good run for me, there were lots of ups and downs, and also there were injuries, where I was wanting to win, but things have not actually happened, according to what I wanted, so, it’s not just the world championships, but the training that I’ve done, after the earlier round exits, me and my coach actually discussed, what’s happening, or what is going on wrong, and we’ve been focusing on that, and we’ve been practicing that.”Coach Irwanshyah, a mild mannered, very intelligent Indonesian, has brought in necessary composure to her camp. “Even my coach has told me one thing, just play your game, and give your best, irrespective of the result, whatever it is, just play your game, and give your best, so, in this World Championships, it was the same,” she said.The world shudders, when Sindhu uses the word ‘same’. It generally means medals – leaving a few Chinese and Top Tens in her wake. Wardani is tricky though. Indonesians care even less than Indians, about rankings and past reputations.