Tanvi Sharma bounced back to get the better of Japan’s Saki Matsumoto and make the semifinals of the World junior badminton championship in Guwahati on Friday.
| Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR
Tanvi Sharma ensured that an Indian girl will stand on the podium at the World junior badminton championships after 17 years, as she defeated Japan’s Saki Matsumoto 13-15, 15-9, 15-10 in the quarterfinals here on Friday, thus confirming at least a bronze.
Coincidentally, the last time an Indian girl won a medal at the event was also at home when Sainia Nehwal bagged gold in Pune in 2008, a month before Tanvi was born. Tanvi thus joins Saina, who also won a silver in 2006, and 1996 runner-up Aparna Popat on the list of female Indian medallists.
The 16-year-old Tanvi entered the arena at the National Centre of Excellence with a sparse home crowd in a downbeat mood after Unnati Hooda went down in straight games to second-seeded Thai Anyapat Phichitpreechasak.
The top-seeded Indian raced to a 10-6 lead in the opener before disaster struck as she committed seven straight unforced errors. She failed to control her tosses, had a lapse in judgement regarding a lift from Matsumoto, and twice found the net with loose returns. Matsumoto duly converted the advantage to take the first game.
Tanvi levelled the tie as she showed her stroke-making ability, producing a range of cross-court drops and down-the-line smashes.
The left-handed Matsumoto led 8-5 at the mid-game interval in the decider with her slow-paced shots troubling the Indian. But the final change of ends allowed Tanvi to have a better control on her strokes and shift the momentum towards her. She sealed the win with a cross-court drop to set up a semifinal clash with China’s Liu Si Ya, the Asian junior championships silver medallist.
Tankara Gnana Dattu Talasila, the only Indian boy to reach the quarterfinals, showed late resistance before being knocked out by China’s Liu Yang Ming Yu.
The host’s hopes of a historic first-ever doubles medal also ended with straight-games defeats for Bhavya Chhabra and Vishakha Toppo in mixed, and Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu in boys’ events.
The results (quarterfinals, Indians only):
Girls’ singles: Tanvi Sharma bt Saki Matsumoto (Jpn) 13-15, 15-9, 15-10; Anyapat Phichitpreechasak (Tha) bt Unnati Hooda 15-12, 15-13.
Boys’ singles: Liu Yang Ming Yu (Chn) bt Tankara Gnana Dattu Talasila 15-11, 15-13.
Boys’ doubles: Chen Jun Ting & Liu Jun Rong (Chn) bt Bhargav Ram Arigela & Viswa Tej Gobburu 15-12, 15-10.
Mixed doubles: Hung Bing Fu & Chou Yun An (Tpe) bt Bhavya Chhabra & Vishakha Toppo 15-9, 15-7.
Published – October 17, 2025 08:15 pm IST
