Vijayawada witnessed a day of thrilling upsets at the Senior National Badminton Championships on Thursday, as experienced campaigner Shruti Mundada and young talents Parul Choudhary and Tanvi Patri defeated higher-seeded opponents to storm into the women's singles pre-quarterfinals.
Women's Singles: Day of the Underdogs
The spotlight shone brightly on the women's draw where lower-ranked players delivered stunning performances. Shruti Mundada displayed exceptional control to dismantle the challenge of seventh-seeded Jiya Rawat in straight games. Mundada secured a convincing victory with scores of 21-14, 21-9, showcasing her experience and tactical prowess.
In another gripping encounter, Parul Choudhary staged a remarkable comeback against the ninth seed. After dropping the first game 18-21, Parul fought back with grit to clinch the next two games 21-18, 21-12, booking her place in the next round.
Completing the trio of upsets was Tanvi Patri, who ended the campaign of eighth seed Isharani Baruah in a tightly contested match. Patri held her nerve to win 22-20, 21-19, proving her mettle against a seeded player.
Top Seeds March On
While the underdogs had their day, the top seeds also progressed smoothly. Top seed Unnati Hooda, second seed Anupama Upadhyaya, third seed Anmol Kharb, and world junior silver medallist Tanvi Sharma all secured their spots in the pre-quarterfinals, setting the stage for some exciting clashes ahead.
Men's Singles and Doubles Action
The trend of surprises continued in the men's singles round of 32. Aryaman Tandon pulled off a significant upset by defeating third seed M Raghu. After losing the first game 17-21, Tandon mounted a superb recovery to win the next two 21-11, 21-14.
Joining him in the pre-quarterfinals were Abhinav Garg and Rithvik Sanjeevi S. Garg overcame tenth seed Abhinav Thakur 21-19, 21-16, while Rithvik defeated thirteenth seed Orijit Chaliha 21-15, 21-19.
The mixed doubles event also saw an upset as the pair of Nitin Kumar and Kanika Kanwal ousted sixth seeds Kevin Wong CC and Pranavi N. They won their match 23-21, 21-15 to advance further in the competition.
Implications and Road Ahead
These results have thrown the draws wide open, proving that rankings mean little on the national stage. The victories of Mundada, Choudhary, and Patri signal the depth of talent in Indian women's badminton. For Aryaman Tandon, his win over a top-three seed marks a major milestone in his career.
As the tournament moves into the pre-quarterfinal stage, fans can expect more high-intensity matches. The established stars will be on high alert, while the giant-killers will look to continue their dream run in Vijayawada.
