World Junior C’ships: Tanvi, Unnati Advance; Gnana Dattu, Bhavya-Vishakha Reach Quarters

Last Updated:October 16, 2025, 20:09 IST

Tanvi Sharma, Unnati Hooda, Gnana Dattu TT and Bhavya Chhabra-Vishakha Toppo reach BWF World Junior Championships quarterfinals with brilliant victories.

Tanvi Sharma in action at the BWF World Junior Championships (Picture credit: BAI)

Rising Indian shuttlers Tanvi Sharma and Unnati Hooda continued their brilliant run, advancing to the quarterfinals of the BWF World Junior Championships on Thursday.

Gnana Dattu TT and the mixed doubles team of Bhavya Chhabra and Vishakha Toppo also upset their higher-ranked opponents in another strong performance for Indian badminton at the National Centre of Excellence.

Tanvi achieved a commanding 15-8, 15-5 victory over China’s Sun Li Yuan, while eighth seed Unnati recovered from a poor start to defeat Malaysia’s Carine Tee 15-10, 15-7.

In the quarterfinals, Tanvi will face Japan’s Saki Matsumoto, while Unnati will challenge second seed Anyapat Phichitpreechasak of Thailand.

Playing his first World Juniors, Gnana Dattu beat eighth seed Garret Tan of the USA 15-12, 15-13 in boys’ singles. Meanwhile, Bhavya and Vishakha bounced back after losing the opening game to defeat the third-seeded French pair Thibault Gardon and Agathe Cuevas 12-15, 15-11, 15-12 to reach the quarterfinals.

Against an experienced opponent, Gnana Dattu showed his racquet skills with late flicks and flat pushes, under pressure, to outmanoeuvre Tan.

In both games, Dattu and Tan focused on minimising errors early on, but Dattu seized the initiative from 8-all.

Understanding the conditions and his opponent’s tactics, the 17-year-old created opportunities with slow drops and sharp dribbles, securing a comfortable advantage and maintaining composure to close out the match.

In the second game, Tan saved three match points from 10-14 down, but Dattu held his nerve on the fourth point to secure his spot in the quarterfinals.

“Although he has more experience than I, having played a few senior tournaments, I was confident that I could defeat him if I played my best and I am happy I could do that today," Dattu said while speaking after the match. He will take on the third seed, Yang Ming Yu Liu, on Friday.

On the adjacent court, Bhavya and Toppo executed their game plan well to upset the third-seeded French duo.

After losing the opening game, the Indian pair roared back in the second, adopting an aggressive approach.

The decider was a battle of nerves as the third seeds changed ends at 8-6 and seemed comfortably placed at 11-8.

At this point, the Indian pair decided to change tactics, preventing their opponents from attacking. This led to Bhavya finding opportunities to win six consecutive points, turning the tables.

“Trailing at 8-11, the coach advised us to attack more and play softly at the net to ensure we got more attacking chances. We followed the coach’s advice as it was easier to attack from this side," said Bhavya after the match.

Bhavya and Vishakha will now face 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 the pre-quarterfinals.

Indian results:

Men’s Singles: Gnana Dattu TT beat 8-Garret Tan (USA) 15-12, 15-13

Women’s Singles: 1-Tanvi Sharma beat Li Yuan Sun (China) 15-8, 15-5; 8-Unnati Hooda beat 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

(With inputs from PTI)

News sports World Junior C’ships: Tanvi, Unnati Advance; Gnana Dattu, Bhavya-Vishakha Reach Quarters

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