17-Year-Old India Shuttler Tanvi Sharma Enters Taipei Open Final
17-Year-Old India Shuttler Tanvi Sharma Enters Taipei Open Final Published By, Last Updated: August 01, 2026, 12:56 IST Tanvi Sharma's ability to finish rallies quickly
17-Year-Old India Shuttler Tanvi Sharma Enters Taipei Open Final Published By, Last Updated: August 01, 2026, 12:56 IST Tanvi Sharma's ability to finish rallies quickly denied Huang any rhythm who struggled to cope with the pace and angles. Tanvi Sharma won in straight games (File Photo) Indian teenager Tanvi Sharma has moved one step closer to claiming her maiden BWF World Tour title after delivering an impressive performance that saw her defeat Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Hsun in straight games and reach the women’s singles final of the Taipei Open Super 300 on Saturday. The 17-year-old from Punjab, who was the runner-up at last year’s US Open Super 300, outplayed world No. 24 Huang 21-17, 21-11 in a 33-minute semifinal that was largely controlled by the Indian. Her victory kept alive India’s hopes of an all-Indian final, but that possibility ended after Unnati Hooda went down 15-21, 18-21 to Vietnam’s world No. 21 Thuy Linh Nguyen in the other semifinal. Tanvi, the Junior World Championships silver medallist, will now face sixth seed Nguyen in Sunday’s championship match. The youngster has enjoyed a rapid rise over the past two seasons.
She was part of India’s gold medal-winning team at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships and has continued to make her mark on the international circuit. She finished runner-up at the Odisha Masters Super 100 and Guwahati Masters Super 100 in 2025, besides winning the Bonn International in 2024 and the Denmark Challenge in 2025. Against Huang, Tanvi showcased her attacking range, repeatedly troubling the home player with powerful cross-court smashes and cleverly disguised pushes aimed deep into the court. The opening game remained competitive in the early stages, with the score moving from 3-3 to 7-6 as Huang attempted to stay close. But Tanvi maintained control and built a 17-11 advantage after leading 14-10. Huang managed to reduce the gap to 15-17, but Tanvi responded strongly in the closing exchanges to take the first game without allowing the momentum to shift. The Indian’s ability to finish points quickly prevented Huang from settling into rallies, with the Taiwanese shuttler struggling against the pace, angles and variation generated by her opponent. The second game followed a similar pattern. Huang matched Tanvi until 9-9, but the Indian then stepped up her attack, combining accurate back-court strokes with delicate net play.
She dominated the final stretch, winning 12 of the last 14 points to complete a convincing victory. In the other semifinal, Nguyen overcame a strong challenge from Unnati after an even start to the contest. The two players were locked in a tight battle early on, but with the score at 8-6, a few errors from Unnati allowed Nguyen to gain control and take an 11-6 lead into the interval. The Vietnamese sixth seed kept the Indian under pressure with accurate placements to all corners of the court, extending her advantage to 16-10. Although Unnati briefly fought back to make it 12-16, Nguyen held her nerve, producing a cross-court winner before sealing the game after Unnati sent a return long. Unnati began the second game aggressively, racing to a 5-0 lead as Nguyen struggled with unforced mistakes. The Vietnamese player recovered to level the score at 8-8, but Unnati regained the upper hand and went into the interval leading 11-9. The Indian stretched her advantage to 16-12 with a series of well-placed winners, but Nguyen turned the match around with a surge in intensity. She won five of the next six points to draw level at 17-17.
The BriefWire