Did Ayush and Unnati's Journey End in Semis at the Taipei Open?

Taipei, May 10 (NationPress) Indian badminton players Ayush Shetty and Unnati Hooda wrapped up their impressive journeys with semifinal finishes in the men’s and women’s singles events, respectively, at the USD 240,000 BWF Taipei Open Super 300 on Saturday, marking the conclusion of India’s participation in the tournament.

Ayush, a bronze medallist from the 2023 World Junior Championships, put forth a spirited performance but ultimately succumbed to local favorite and world No. 7 Chou Tien Chen with scores of 18-21, 17-21.

Renowned for his formidable smashes and adept net play, Ayush had a remarkable journey leading up to the semifinals, having triumphed over notable competitors such as All England runner-up Lee Chia Hao, former world No. 1 and fellow countryman Kidambi Srikanth, and Canada’s Brian Yang.

He began aggressively against Chou, employing sharp angles and attacking the forecourt to establish an 8-4 lead. However, several unforced errors allowed Chou to claw back to 10-9 and eventually gain a slight edge at the mid-game break. The match remained closely contested at 11-all, with both players exchanging blows. Ayush’s fierce forehand smashes kept him competitive, but Chou’s experience shone through in the final moments of the first game, sealing it with a body smash and a precise backhand at 18-all.

The second game maintained a high intensity. Ayush held an 11-10 lead at the interval, varying his strokes to keep Chou under pressure. However, Chou countered with intelligent net play and angled returns, swinging the score in his favor. Despite Ayush’s attempts to recover to 14-13, some long shots disrupted his rhythm. Chou seized the opportunity, gaining four match points at 20-16. Ayush saved one but ultimately hit a backhand into the net, resulting in his defeat.

Earlier, Unnati displayed early potential but was unable to sustain her momentum, falling 19-21, 11-21 in 43 minutes against top seed and world No. 8 Tomoka Miyazaki from Japan, the 2022 World Junior Champion.

Unnati, who won the 2022 Odisha Masters and 2023 Abu Dhabi Masters, began strong, dominating the front court and utilizing precise smashes to unsettle Miyazaki, taking a 7-3 lead and then extending it to 11-6 at the interval. However, after the change of ends, her game became riddled with errors. Miyazaki narrowed the gap to 10-12 and leveled at 18-18 when Hooda netted a return. The Japanese player clinched the opening game with a powerful straight smash after Hooda went wide on game point.

In the second game, Miyazaki surged to a 4-0 lead while Hooda appeared unsettled. Trailing 2-8, the Indian squandered crucial chances, including one when Miyazaki was on the floor. Her inconsistency continued, allowing Miyazaki to pull ahead 15-6 and ultimately close out the match comfortably.