In a stunning display of young talent, Indian badminton witnessed two remarkable upsets at the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament held at the UP Badminton Academy in Lucknow on Thursday. Sixteen-year-old Tanvi Sharma, fresh from her World Junior Championships silver medal, and Uganda International Challenge winner Manraj Singh delivered performances that sent shockwaves through the competition.
Young Stars Shine Bright
Tanvi Sharma created history by defeating former world champion Nozomi Okuhara in a thrilling three-game match that ended 13-21, 21-16, 21-19. The teenage sensation showed incredible resilience after losing the first game, bouncing back to claim victory against the Japanese star.
Equally impressive was Manraj Singh's victory over third seed and 2023 World Championships bronze medallist HS Prannoy. This major upset propelled both young Indian shuttlers into the quarterfinals of their respective categories, marking a significant milestone in their careers.
Established Players Maintain Dominance
While newcomers made headlines, established players also secured their spots in the next round. Ace shuttler K Srikanth secured a quarterfinal berth with a commanding performance against Saneet Dayanand, winning 21-6, 21-16. The 2016 Modi Badminton champion displayed considerable aggression and excellent net play throughout the match.
Srikanth is now set to face Priyanshu Rajawat in the quarterfinals, who earned his place by defeating India's BM Rahul Bharadwaj 21-16, 10-21, 21-12 in another closely contested match.
Women's Singles and Doubles Action
In women's singles, top seed Unnati Hooda demonstrated her class with a comfortable victory over Tasnim Mir, winning 21-15, 21-10. However, the day saw another upset when Hong Kong's Lo Sin Yan Happy edged eighth seed Anupama Upadhyay 21-13, 12-21, 21-13.
Seventh seed Rakshitha Shree Santhosh Ramraj battled past fellow Indian Devika Sihag 16-21, 21-19, 21-17 in another hard-fought encounter. The women's doubles saw defending champions and top seeds Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela advance to the last eight by defeating compatriots Jenith Abbigail and Likhita Srivastava 21-17, 21-12.
More Upsets and Quarterfinal Qualifications
Thursday's matches witnessed several other surprising results. In men's singles, Hong Kong's Jason Gunawan stunned fourth seed Kiran George 21-19, 21-16. The mixed doubles category saw impressive performances from Indian pairs Hariharan Amsakarunan and Treesa Jolly, and Nitin HV and Srinidhi Narayanan, while women's singles player Isharani Baruah also recorded an upset victory.
UP's own Shruti Mishra and her partner Priya Konjengbam secured a quarterfinal berth with a hard-fought win over the fourth-seeded Ukrainian pair Polina Buhrova and Yevheniia Kantemir, winning 21-17, 24-22.
Tanvi Sharma's Emotional Reaction
After her monumental victory, Tanvi Sharma shared her thoughts with the media. "It has been a great year for me. At the World Juniors, I won silver. I was on a break due to an ankle injury. I didn't expect I would beat Okuhara; I just wanted to give my best," the young shuttler revealed.
She added crucial insight into her comeback strategy: "I made many unforced errors in the first game. After the first game, my coach told me to stop thinking about winning or losing and just play my game." This advice clearly worked wonders as the teenager staged an impressive recovery to claim one of the biggest victories of her budding career.
The Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament continues to showcase emerging Indian badminton talent while providing thrilling matches for sports enthusiasts. With quarterfinals lined up, all eyes will be on whether the young sensations can maintain their stunning form against increasingly tough competition.
