Al Ain (UAE), Oct 4 (NationPress) India's former World No.1 Kidambi Srikanth faced a shocking defeat against Malaysian talent Aidil Sholeh in the semifinals of the Al Ain Masters 2025, a BWF Super 100 tournament. This sets the stage for an exciting showdown between rising stars Tasnim Mir and Shriyanshi Valishetty in an all-Indian women's singles final scheduled for Sunday.

The day began poorly for India as Sholeh achieved the most significant victory of his career by upsetting Srikanth in the men's singles semifinals. Competing independently now, this will mark his second career Super 100 final after securing a silver medal at the Indonesia Masters last year.

“The second game was challenging as my opponent (Kidambi) altered his strategy. There was also some drift, but I’m pleased that I maintained my composure,” Sholeh remarked post-victory.

In another semifinal, Finland’s world No. 54 Joakim Oldorff showcased a dominant performance, defeating Vietnam’s Hai Dang Nguyen with a score of 21-17, 21-17. This marks Oldorff's first appearance in a Super 100 final. “This is my most significant breakthrough at the senior level, and I’m thrilled about the final,” said Oldorff.

India's emerging talents Tasnim Mir and Shriyanshi Valishetty have secured their spots in their first Super 100 final and will clash in an all-Indian women’s singles matchup on Sunday. The 20-year-old Mir, hailing from Gujarat, made a remarkable comeback after losing the first game to defeat Turkey’s Neslihan Arin with scores of 9-21, 21-17, 21-10.

“I’m very excited to reach the final. This is a step toward competing at higher-level tournaments like the Super 300 and Super 500, and improving my ranking,” stated Mir, a former world junior no. 1.

Valishetty displayed a more decisive performance, defeating Indonesia’s Chiara Marvella Handoyo 21-11, 21-12 in straight games to earn her place.

Taipei Teens Stun Olympians

In women's doubles, the teenage duo from Chinese Taipei, Liang Ching Sun and Yan Fei Chen, pulled off one of the tournament's biggest surprises by beating Australian Olympians and Oceania champions Gronya Somerville and Angela Yu 21-11, 21-17 in just 27 minutes.

The 17-year-olds, who are also Asian Junior U-17 champions, are heading to their first Super 100 final where they will compete against Bulgarian top seeds and multiple European champions Gabriela and Stefani Stoeva. “We aim for the top 30 by the end of the year, but first, we want to be champions here,” said world No. 50 Liang Ching.

With approximately 300 shuttlers from 38 nations participating, the Al Ain Masters 2025—the only BWF event in the Middle East—now heads toward its much-anticipated finals on Sunday, promising a display of intense competition and emerging talent.