Bengaluru, Feb. 19 -- "I didn't let Pune define me - I let Bengaluru redefine me." In a sport where margins are slim and memory can be unforgiving, Vaishnavi Adkar's words carried the weight of experience far beyond her years.
Just a week ago in Pune, at a 75K event, the young Indian stood on the brink of victory. She held two match points. The finish line was within sight. And then, without warning, her body began to cramp. The pain intensified. The match slipped away, not because she was outplayed, but because she physically could not continue.
It was the kind of loss that lingers - quiet, frustrating, unresolved. "That was somewhat playing in my head," she said.
Fast forward to Bengaluru, where she was competing in the main draw of a ...