Badminton | Tanvi assures herself of a medal; different Indians exit from World juniors

Tanvi Sharma ensured that an Indian woman will stand on the rostrum on the World junior badminton championships after 17 years, as she defeated Japan’s Saki Matsumoto 13-15, 15-9, 15-10 within the quarterfinals right here on Friday, thus confirming at the very least a bronze.

Coincidentally, the final time an Indian woman gained a medal on the occasion was additionally at dwelling when Sainia Nehwal bagged gold in Pune in 2008, a month earlier than Tanvi was born. Tanvi thus joins Saina, who additionally gained a silver in 2006, and 1996 runner-up Aparna Popat on the record of feminine Indian medallists.

The 16-year-old Tanvi entered the sector on the National Centre of Excellence with a sparse dwelling crowd in a downbeat temper after Unnati Hooda went down in straight video games to second-seeded Thai Anyapat Phichitpreechasak.

The top-seeded Indian raced to a 10-6 lead within the opener earlier than catastrophe struck as she dedicated seven straight unforced errors. She failed to manage her tosses, had a lapse in judgement relating to a carry from Matsumoto, and twice discovered the online with unfastened returns. Matsumoto duly transformed the benefit to take the primary sport.

Tanvi levelled the tie as she confirmed her stroke-making capability, producing a spread of cross-court drops and down-the-line smashes.

The left-handed Matsumoto led 8-5 on the mid-game interval within the decider together with her slow-paced photographs troubling the Indian. But the ultimate change of ends allowed Tanvi to have a greater management on her strokes and shift the momentum in direction of her. She sealed the win with a cross-court drop to arrange a semifinal conflict with China’s Liu Si Ya, the Asian junior championships silver medallist.

Tankara Gnana Dattu Talasila, the one Indian boy to achieve the quarterfinals, confirmed late resistance earlier than being knocked out by China’s Liu Yang Ming Yu.

The host’s hopes of a historic first-ever doubles medal additionally ended with straight-games defeats for Bhavya Chhabra and Vishakha Toppo in combined, and Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu in boys’ occasions.

The outcomes (quarterfinals, Indians solely):

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.