Indian Stars Tanvi, Unnati Shine in BWF Junior Quarters

Guwahati, Oct 16 (PTI) — Emerging Indian badminton stars Tanvi Sharma and Unnati Hooda have continued their notable performances by advancing to the quarterfinals of the BWF World Junior Championships on Thursday. They demonstrated their prowess at the National Centre of Excellence, with several other Indian players also making significant strides.

Tanvi delivered a commanding performance, defeating China’s Sun Li Yuan with a swift 15-8, 15-5 victory. Meanwhile, eighth seed Unnati overcame an initial setback to triumph 15-10, 15-7 over Malaysia's Carine Tee. In the quarterfinals, Tanvi is set to face Japan’s Saki Matsumoto, while Unnati will go up against Thailand’s second seed Anyapat Phichitpreechasak.

New participant Gnana Dattu TT made a mark in the boys' singles by upsetting eighth seed Garret Tan of the USA with scores of 15-12, 15-13. The mixed doubles pair, Bhavya Chhabra and Vishakha Toppo, showcased resilience by defeating the third-seeded French team of Thibault Gardon and Agathe Cuevas after losing the opening game. They prevailed with a final scoreline of 12-15, 15-11, 15-12, securing their place in the quarterfinals.

Against his experienced opponent, Gnana Dattu exhibited skillful play with late flicks and flat pushes. He kept errors to a minimum, taking control from an 8-8 tie to clinch the match with strategic slow drops and sharp dribbles. Despite Garret Tan's effort to save three match points in the second game, Dattu maintained composure to capture the quarterfinal spot. "Though he has more experience, I was sure I could win if I played my best," Dattu expressed confidently.

On a neighboring court, Bhavya and Vishakha executed their strategy effectively to upset the French duo. After dropping the first game, they adopted an aggressive approach to take the second game. The deciding game saw a tense start, with the French team gaining an 11-8 advantage. However, a strategic change based on their coach's advice led to a pivotal shift. "The coach advised us to attack more and play softly at the net," Bhavya remarked, highlighting the tactical switch.

As they gear up for the next stage, Bhavya and Vishakha will encounter Chinese Taipei’s Hung Bing Fu and Chou Yun An, who defeated Korea’s Kim Tae Hyun and Moon In Seo 15-9, 15-11 in their respective pre-quarterfinal.

Indian results: Men's Singles: Gnana Dattu TT defeated 8-Garret Tan (USA) 15-12, 15-13. Women's Singles: 1-Tanvi Sharma defeated Li Yuan Sun (China) 15-8, 15-5; 8-Unnati Hooda overcame Carine Tee (Malaysia) 15-10, 15-7; 10-Rakshitha Sree lost to 4-Ranithma Liyanage (Sri Lanka) 11-15, 9-15. Women's Doubles: 8-Vennala K/Reshika U lost to Salsabila Aulia/Jania Situmorang (Indonesia) 16-14, 12-15, 8-15. Mixed Doubles: 14-Bhavya Chhabra/Vishakha Toppo beat 3-Thibault Gardon/Agathe Cuevas (France) 12-15, 15-11, 15-12.

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