Unsure of whether to compete in the Czech International at Brno after she suffered a back spasm three days before her departure for the tournament, Trupti Murgunde didn’t expect much from her opener of the European swing of events. The shuttler, though, bogged down by a back injury for a couple of seasons now, surprised even herself as she went on to win the title. Murgunde beat Swiss Jeanine Cicognini 21-17 21-12 in the 33-minute final on Sunday.

“I wasn’t sure if I would play. But I got some time between reaching here and playing my match, so it worked out okay,” she said after picking her second title of the year. “I was expecting a tougher match from Cicognini since she’d beaten a Chinese in the semis, but I was well-prepared for her,” said the 25-year-old who benefitted from tips passed on to her by compatriot Sayali Gokhale.

“Sayali had played Cicognini in the earlier rounds, so she gave me a few tips. Plus, I tried to play intelligently because against the physically stronger Europeans, my build is no match. So I played tactically, and it worked well,” the unseeded Indian said.

Cautious return

Ranked 105th in the world, Murgunde was playing only her sixth international tournament since her cautious return from injury, and is now looking forward to the Bitburger Open starting Tuesday, though her first piece of action is only on Wednesday. “The rest will help me recover, and the back is holding up, so no worries,” she said.

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